


Mystery

by MysteryElle



Category: Black Widow (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Baby, Back and gayer than ever, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Black Widow Stunts, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Declarations Of Love, Domestic Avengers, F/F, Falling for each other, Fluff and Angst, Friends and Family - Freeform, Gay Bucky Barnes, Good times, It's better this time I promise, Learning to trust, Learning what love is, Lesbian Approved, Mutant Powers, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, OC with a past, Out of body experiences and dragging friends into the astral plane, POV Natasha Romanov, Pansexual Natasha Romanov, Re-write, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Tried to make this better, Violence, and anger sometimes, darker themes, dead but not dead?, lots of love, mostly dead, secret missions to overthrow HYDRA, this is gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-05-17 20:34:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14838719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryElle/pseuds/MysteryElle
Summary: "Will you stay with me?""Why me?""You feel safe."





	1. First Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Half the Avengers go to a magic show and leave in a bulletproof car with the help of a mutant magician ex-agent.

" _Welcome!_ " 

The crowd roared in approval as the lights dimmed on the Central Park stage. The trees were bathed in a bluish hue from the stage lights. The voice continued to speak, but the speaker was not seen.

" _Thank you all for coming to my not-so-little show. I’m very happy to be performing for you all!_ "

Again, the crowd cheered. A group of five sat near the front in lawn chairs. The four men looked excited at the show while a certain redhead looked more bored than she had ever been in her life. She was leaned back, observing but not really caring. She knew what kind of person this was; egotistical, attention craving, and flashy. Natasha had never been interested in any form of interaction with people like this, and she avoided it whenever she could.

So why was she here, one may ask. This was, yet another, one of Tony's ideas to help bring the team together. Apparently, he had seen a few of her tricks online and donated a bunch of money to her show. He’d insisted that they go to the next performance in Central Park, so here they were.

But the entire team had not shown up. Only Steve, Sam, Bucky, and Tony had gone. She was only there to be the mediator between Tony and Bucky if need be. They were still sore from the recent unveiling of the true cause of the Stark's death, so she had gone just to stop them from hurting one another.

She sighed as the voice continued on.

" _Now, as you all know, my name is Mystery, and I’ll be your host. Let’s start the show, shall we?_ "

Everyone but Natasha clapped in agreement. The lights narrowed onto the center of the empty stage. Then, further up to the top of the overhang over a young woman in a very formal dress. She was rather short, Natasha noted, but tried to compensate with her heels, which had to have been at least five inches tall. Her hair was short, in a pixie cut, and light brown. She wore dark purple lipstick and deep smokey eyeshadow underneath her masquerade mask that reminded Natasha of a fairy. She spoke once again into her microphone headset.

" _Hello! Hi! Thank you!_ "

She was walking closer and closer towards the edge of the roof, supposedly not paying attention. The audience ate it up, beginning to protest her movements by yelling. Steve looked about ready to run on stage and catch her, Tony was leaned forward in interest, Sam was protesting along with the crowd, and Bucky just looked confused as to why she was on the roof in the first place. They were really getting into this. 

Natasha looked bored. She knew she was just going to descend on a wire or "teleport" back on stage. She couldn't care less.

When she got to the edge, she continued waving and walking, playing the part for her audience. She put one foot over the edge as if she was stepping off a step, not a care in the world despite there being about fifteen feet to the stage.

The crowd held their breath and waited for her to fall. Even Natasha was a little curious now. There were no wires or special effects in sight.

The magician's heeled shoe met the air...then her other foot...and then her first again. She was walking on air as if it were solid stairs. The Black Widow looked on with narrowed eyes, sure that there was something she was missing. 

The audience began cheering again, impressed with her first trick. She stepped off of the invisible steps and onto the stage, in the spotlight. 

Mystery waved off their cheers, " _Yes, yes, very cool. But I'm going for downright impressed and won't accept anything less!_ " She clasped her hands together and smirked, " _Now, I am sure you all know that every magician needs an assistant, preferably sexy, but sometimes they need to make exceptions._ " She got a small laugh from the crowd for that. Natasha was bored again.

" _So! I'm going to ask you all to be quiet for a bit while I pick our lucky gal! Or guy. I don't have preferences._ " She closed her eyes. " _Okay now, shhhh... close your eyes with me. Think of your name, and just your name. Clear your mind..._ "

Natasha rolled her eyes when she saw Tony, Sam, Steve, and Bucky with their eyes closed. Mystery passed her hand over the expanse of the crowd, eyes still closed. Her hand stopped in Natasha's direction. The redhead raised an eyebrow.

" _Now, here's someone! Smart, sexy, foreign… Name?_ ” 

Natasha was immediately on guard. She was clearly pointing to their little group, and she was the only foreign person among them, as far as she knew. And she knew everything about everyone there.

The performer continued on, “ _...Natalie? No, Natalia! But she prefers Natasha, so let's give a warm welcome to Natasha!_ " The Magician clapped along with the crowd after opening her eyes. Her gaze was cast on Natasha, who was still in her seat, eyes wide in a rare display of reaction. 

Immediately, she knew something was up. No one, not even a psychic, could break through the walls she’d shielded herself with her whole life. This was supposed to be a casual outing, not a breach of cover like it was turning out to be. Evidently her teammates didn’t see it that way.

Tony nudged her, "Come on, Widow! Live a little!" She shook her head no and leaned back into her chair stubbornly. "Aww, please?" Tony pouted at her. 

She glared in response, but stood up slowly and made her way to the stage. She wanted to get closer to this Mystery character. Most of her deductions were made up close and personal, after all. So she passed through the maze of chairs towards the stairs on the side of the stage.

Mystery continued, " _Sweet! While she's making her way up here, I’m going to tell you all a little about this trick. I had some friends when I was a kid, and we developed this whole show ourselves. Granted, I ran with it and they moved on, but this is a classic._ ” Natasha finally got up on the stage but kept behind her subject. 

She was surprised to find that despite the lights beating down on the stage, they were angled in a way that didn’t totally blind them. Mystery could see out over the audience as clearly as if they were in daylight. This only made Natasha’s guard go up even more. 

The performance continued on. “ _Ah, here’s my wonderful assistant!_ ” Mystery approached and held out her hand for her to shake. “ _A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Natasha._ ” 

Natasha glanced between her hand and those dark gray eyes behind the mask screaming something more urgent than the desire to have a simple greeting. At her unspoken insistence, Natasha took her hand and felt the oddly shaped piece of rubber against her palm, but showed no reaction. Mystery was pulling away and turning back to her audience before the Widow could totally lower her hand. 

“ _All that my lovely redhead has to do is follow my instructions as well as she can. And hopefully, everything will turn out okay. Maybe._ ” She glanced back at her, eyes darting between the hand she had just released and Natasha's eyes urgently. 

Natasha replied with a sharp glare of her own, one that was gone before any audience members could catch it. The look promised hell to pay if she was planning something sinister. Mystery just smiled, stuck her tongue out playfully and spun back to her audience with far more grace than should be possible in heels that tall.

“ _Now then!_ ” Mystery continued, “ _I am going to make Natasha levitate. She will be completely safe, don’t worry! Just...floating._ ” 

While she explained the trick, Natasha pretended to inspect her nails with her fingers curled in towards her palm. The object the magician had so secretly passed to her stood out against the pale skin of her palm, and she finally understood. It was an earpiece with a familiar guarding eagle logo stamped on the outside. 

If she was with SHIELD, or whatever Fury still had left of it, something bigger was at play.

It was easy enough to put the small piece into her ear under the illusion of brushing her straightened hair back. Through the communications device, a recorded message was repeating: “ _-ready to run. Gun on the roof. HYDRA in the crowd. Black van backstage. Listen to the radio. Be ready to run. Gun on the roof. HYDRA in the-_ ”

Natasha struggled to void her face of any emotion. HYDRA was weak after their infiltration in SHIELD had been discovered, but they still posed a threat. If they were planning on ambushing five Avengers in such a public place, then they were desperate. And desperation made anyone dangerous.

“ _Ready, Natasha?_ ” The spy turned back into the show and saw Mystery looking at her expectantly. She had been scoping out the crowd without even noticing. 

For now, she plastered a fake smile onto her face and shrugged dumbly. “As ready as I’ll ever be!” Nothing could seem wrong until it all inevitably went to shit. She had four other teammates to worry about in the crowd along with at least two hundred civilians. 

Mystery smiled widely, “ _Great! Just…_ ” She took hold of her shoulders gently and shuffled her back a few steps. “ _stand right there, and let me handle it!_ ” Her words had two meanings, she knew. She had a plan, but she needed Natasha to follow it if it was going to work. “ _You’ll get back to your friends soon, I promise._ ” And with another happy smile, she spun back to the audience.

Mystery raised her hands slowly and closed her own eyes. Natasha wasn’t moving for a second, then, she began to rise into the air. It was like she was on an elevator because she could still feel a solid surface beneath her, just couldn’t see it and was currently four feet in the air. The audience clapped politely but didn’t seem too amazed. She could even see a small family start to pack up their stuff to leave before the first gunshot went off.

Natasha jerked her arms up to cover her face in an instinctual reaction, but nothing hit her. Something in front of her had repelled the small spark of metal that she did see. Some invisible barrier had blocked the bullet. The bullet that was meant for her.

The single, loud bang echoed through the park and sent people running and screaming from the scene. She couldn’t help but notice that she was still rising, only faster now. Below her, Mystery still stood on the stage with her hands outstretched, one towards her and one towards the crowd. She could see Sam and Steve trying to direct people out of harm’s way and locate the threat, while Tony and Bucky stayed low and tried to get out of the combat zone.

Natasha was almost to the roof now, only a few more feet to go before she could climb onto the overhang. But a sudden glow in the crowd caught Natasha’s eye, and she squinted to make out the familiar shape of a Chitauri blaster aimed at the stage. 

Her eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen, and she leaped for the lip of the stage roof. The shot fired just before Natasha’s hands caught the edge, and she scrambled to pull herself up. 

The message droned on in her ear, “ _HYDRA in the crowd. Black van backstage. Listen to the radio. Be ready to run. Gun on the roof._ ” 

On the ground, Steve tried to redirect people without making them trample one another. A streak of familiar blue light screamed past him towards the stage and exploded in a burst of blue energy against an invisible barrier in front of the magician on stage. Her entire posture had shifted from playful to combative. She was staring down the crowd but glanced up towards the roof quickly just in time to see a pair of legs crawl over the edge and out of sight.

Sam was working with Steve, but he became distracted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. One look at Natasha’s contact photo and he was swiping the green button to talk. “Nat! What’s going on, here?!”

“ _I don’t have much time,_ ” She started. He could hear metal sliding and clicking into place on her end. “ _There are HYDRA agents in the crowd with alien weaponry. Best guess is they’re going to try and make a move on Barnes. I’ll meet you in the black van backstage. The magician is with SHIELD and has been helpful so far, but still keep your guard up. Gotta go._ ” The line cut out just before more gunshots joined the chaos, except this time it was coming from in front and above the men. 

“Oh, come on!” Steve snapped, “Where did she get a sniper rifle?!”

“Steve!” Sam flagged him down, “Nat called and said to head backstage! I’ll grab Bucky and Tony!” He fought his way towards where he last saw the two while he spoke, leaving Steve to finish the evacuation. 

Sam pushed his way towards the stage, hoping to follow along it and find his friends, but instead ran into the magician climbing off the stage. She landed barefoot on the grass, her shoes in one hand and the other raised towards the crowd. They moved together along the grass, staying low and fast like the professionals they were.

“Hi, nice to meet you.” She grit out with her masked gaze still focused on the area in front of them. “I’m with your friend. I saw Stark and Barnes run for the parking lot, but that’s where agents will be waiting for an ambush. We have to cut them off.”

“Uhh,” Sam glanced between her and the bullets that were ricocheting off of an invisible barrier in front of them. “Are you doing that?”

“Yep,” She answered, sounding way too amused for the circumstances, “You go, I’ll hold them off until the backup I called gets here. Go with Natasha, she’ll get you to safety!” Before Sam could protest, she stopped running and threw one of her shoes at the forest tree branches. There was a muffled thud and a man in tactical gear fell from the cover of the branches. He scrambled to get up, hand on his bald head where her shoe had hit but was shot down a moment later by Natasha. “I’ll be fine,” Mystery insisted. “Run!”

While Sam was making his escape, Mystery tapped the side of her microphone to connect to Natasha’s headset. 

On the roof, the Black Widow fired off shot after shot, but more and more agents kept coming from different areas of the park where she didn’t have a line of sight to shoot at. She was briefly reminded of those carnival shooting games before the urgent instructions in her ear cut out in a burst of static.

“ _\--in the crowd. Black van back-- Widow? This is Mystery. Most agents are down and the area has been cleared of civilians. I called Hill before the show, so backup should be arriving soon. You should get to the car while you have the chance._ ”

Natasha fired off one last shot before scooting away from her vantage point and towards the access hatch. “And you?” She pulled the trap door open and slid down the ladder railings. 

“ _I’ll catch up, don’t worry. Remember your instructions and see you soon!_ ” 

Natasha’s eye twitched. How she could sound so casually happy in the middle of an extraterrestrial firefight she’d never know. 

True to her word, the van was parked facing toward the exit ramp. Several enemy agents were already on the ground, either unconscious or dead. A few triggered SHIELD regulation traps were sprung on the ground, with the physical appearance of landmines but only capable of emitting a sonar pulse that would disorient and knock out anyone within five feet of the source. 

“ _I found Steve. I’m sending him to you._ ” 

Well, there was one superhero taken care of. Sam, Tony, and Bucky sprinted around the back garage and caught sight of her quickly. 

“What the hell is going on out there?” Tony sounded more irritated than afraid of the gunshots and laser fire still ringing out in the park. “I donated like, ten thousand dollars to this lady and I gotta say I am very disappointed.”

Natasha yanked open the driver’s door and started climbing in. “Flee the scene now, talk later. Where’s Steve?”

“Drive the car!”

Sam turned towards the open garage door, “What the--?”

Steve skid around the corner and shot towards them at a dead sprint, eyes wild and posture pumped full of adrenaline. Close behind him, HYDRA agents gave chase, shooting at his retreating form while he zig-zagged away from harm. “ ** _Drive the damn car!_** ” He commanded even as everyone strapped in as quickly as possible and Natasha found the keys on the dashboard. Bucky waited for Steve to dive into the back seat before slamming the sliding door shut.

She jammed the keys into the ignition and started the van. Bullets bounced off of reinforced glass while she threw the car into drive and slammed on the gas. The agents were (unfortunately) quick enough to dodge out of the way, and the shooting mysteriously stopped while they peeled off down the dirt road. 

Natasha glanced in the rearview and saw none other than Mystery standing on the edge of the road with both hands raised at the back of the retreating van. She must have cast a barrier behind the vehicle so it wouldn’t be shot at. 

The magician jerked, hand flying to her shoulder before the trees in the park hid the scene from view. Natasha seemed to be the only one that saw but stayed quiet and squashed down the worry growing in her throat. If she was a professional, she could handle herself. Maybe.

“What was that?” Bucky asked, voice quiet and a little shaken. Steve pushed his thigh against his friend’s and let the sides of their hands touch in a silent offer of comfort. 

“Supposed SHIELD agent that figured out HYDRA was crashing her show,” Natasha answered as best she could. “I don’t know her, but if she was special forces and has Hill’s number even after she went dark, she could be the real deal.”

“You think she could be a fake?” Sam asked.

The whole car tilted to the side while she took a sharp right turn over a curb and into the flow of traffic. She ignored Tony’s cursing and the loud thud of Sam’s body hitting the side of the door. “I think we can’t be sure yet. I haven’t heard from Fury since he disappeared and he’s really the only one we can--”

She was cut off by the sound of Tony’s phone ringing cheerfully. The pinging bells silenced everything in the vehicle, save for the sound of cars honking and tires screeching outside while Natasha steered them back towards Avengers Tower. He showed everyone the caller ID that read ‘Grumpy Pirate’ and muttered, “Speak of the devil…” Tony cleared his throat and put his cell on speaker.

“Hello, you’ve reached Tony Stark.”

“ _What the hell did you do._ ”

“Okay, it wasn’t just me!”

Natasha grabbed at the phone, “Fury, we have a unit of what appear to be rouge HYDRA agents trying to make a move on Barnes in Central Park. There’s a woman there that claims to be a SHIELD agent running defense and gave us an escape route and vehicle. She’s some kind of mutant that can make invisible barriers and--”

“ _Wait, wait. Was this woman short, smiled a lot, and called herself Mystery by any chance?_ ”

“Yeah, do you know her?” Sam asked from the backseat.

A long, suffering sigh blew through the phone. “ _Yes. I do. Do you have her now?_ ”

“No,” Steve leaned forward to be better heard, “Should we go back for her?”

“ _No need. She’ll find you. When you see her again bring her with you and hold her for questioning. I’ll be at the tower before sunrise._ ”

The line clicked and the dial tone droned on. Tony hung up and twisted in his seat to look at the others. “Are we taking bets on who this chick is or just guessing?” 

Sam rolled his eyes, “She’s probably some rookie that joined right before SHIELD fell. Maybe she’s not even connected to Fury and just stole the equipment. He wants us to hold her for questioning, right?”

“She could just be a magician,” Bucky shrugged, the movement jostling Steve a bit but not pushing him away from where they were leaned against each other. “Maybe she’s just trying her best?”

Sam sighed, “Aren’t we all?” 

“Well, she told me to listen to the radio.” Natasha reached for the knob on the stereo. “Let’s see why.”

Static screeched through, first and foremost, then the tuner numbers started moving by themselves until they settled on 101.1 FM. An announcer was speaking calmly through their announcements. 

“ _And let’s not forget our wonderful donor for tonight’s broadcast, Ms. Kasey Holt. She has requested that we relay a message between every classical piece we play as a gift to her coworkers. The message reads, “Thank you for staying with me all this time. I know it’s been rough, but I’m just happy we all made it. I will see you all as soon as I can make sure the past is truly behind us. Thank you.’ A lovely message. Another thanks to Ms. Holt as we go into our next composition, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons._ ”

The radio began to play the symphony, and Natasha turned the music down. They were only about a mile away from the tower, by then.

Steve cleared his throat, “So she was just promising to meet us again.” He hummed, considering.

Suddenly, a figure in a pale cream dress dropped onto the road in front of them and held up both hands, silver stiletto gripped in one while the other waved frantically for them to stop. Natasha cursed loudly and slammed on the brakes, pitching Sam forward into the back of her seat and jerking the seatbelt against Tony’s torso. The van jerked to a full stop mere feet from hitting Mystery.

The woman smiled and pulled off her black mask, giving them a first look at her face. “Oh, hey!” She limped to the side door and pulled a set of keys from under her dress collar. The sliding door was pulled open and she clambered into the back seat next to Sam.

The whole car was silent, staring at the newcomer while she gently probed at her right eye, which was slightly swollen and pink. Upon noticing the stares in silence, she glanced up and met a few eyes. 

“What? ...Oh! Sorry, where are my manners?” She stuck out her hand to Sam with a smile. “Agent Kendra Hickman. Nice to meet you! Or, I guess I’m actually ex-agent Hickman now, but hey.” She shrugged. Sam didn’t take her hand, so she withdrew it slowly, smile fading. “Oh. Things are still hazy, huh?”

She was met with silence. 

“Okay, that’s fair.” She put her hands in the air and looked at Natasha, who kept the car braked in the middle of the road. “Do what you need to do.” 

In the next second, the Black Widow had pulled a syringe from her sleeve and stabbed the needle into Mystery’s thigh in one movement. While the men flinched back from what they expected to be a conflict, the injected woman jumped and immediately clutched her thigh.

“Okay, **_OW!_** What the fuck was that?!” 

Natasha blinked slowly back at her. “You said to do what I need to do. I did.” 

“I thought you would just handcuff me or something…” Kendra scoffed and gestured to the empty syringe still in her leg. “And I guess I’ll just hope that wasn’t poison?” She sounded almost humored, but definitely slurred.

“Don’t worry,” Natasha said smoothly and pulled her other sleeve down to reveal a second syringe. “Death drug goes in the right sleeve.” 

Kendra’s eyelids fluttered as her body relaxed. She still found the energy to mutter, “Good to know...” Before her neck relaxed and her head tilted over the back headrest. Her chest deflated with a sigh, and she was unconscious. 

“I’ll ask again,” Bucky croaked, “What the hell was that?!”

Natasha pulled the needle back to her and tucked it back into its sheath on her wrist. “It was just a sleeping drug. Bruce makes it for himself but I dialed it down, so she’ll be out for a few hours.” She released her foot off the brake and continued onwards towards the Tower.

“I’d just like to bring up,” Tony spoke with a finger raised like he was making a point, “that this will be the second unconscious woman we drag into my building.”

“And it won’t be the last, I can almost promise you.” Natasha teased. She glanced at their guest sleeping in the back seat through the rearview mirror. “On our side or not, this one’s going to be trouble.”


	2. Interrogation and Integration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are explained, and Kendra wears fake nails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! I hope you enjoy!

Kendra woke up slowly with swimming vision and dizziness unlike any she’d ever experienced. Once she got her bearings, she scanned the room and took stock of her own body. 

Nothing was hurting that badly, besides the injuries she suffered during her escape from the stage. The gunshot wound in her shoulder was bandaged and numbed. She was slumped down in a metal chair with her shins bound to the legs. Both arms were cuffed to the center of the table with thick metal braces that attach to the matching metal. The room itself was painted gray, with a two-way glass window in the wall in front of her. A reinforced door was locked shut to her left, and a camera sat on the same wall pointed right at her. 

She sighed heavily and straightened herself as best she could. “Oh, dammit not again,” She muttered.

On the other side of the glass, Natasha narrowed her eyes. “You’re sure she’s unarmed?” 

“Oh, look at that,” Tony said sarcastically from where he was sitting in his desk chair behind Steve and Natasha with Bruce. “You actually _can’t_ go three minutes without asking if she isn’t hiding a shiv in her ear.” The two scientists were reading scans of the woman they had restrained in the interrogation room. 

“Yes, Nat, she’s clean,” Bruce answered with a pointed look at Tony. The other man just plastered on an innocent face and popped another dried cherry into his mouth. Bruce sighed and turned back towards the screens scanning her vitals. “If she lies or tries to cast any shields, we’ll know. We can ask her some questions now that she’s awake.”

Steve nodded at the suggestion and stepped towards the door.

“You sure you can handle it, Captain?” Natasha tried not to sound teasing, but the level stare she got thrown back at her showed that he’d heard the lit in her voice.

“I’m not always ‘good cop’. I can ask a couple questions.” He assured them all, ignoring Tony’s raised eyebrows. The Captain pulled the door open and stepped inside.

Natasha watched with arms crossed and a narrow stare. “I don’t like it.”

“Yeah,” Tony said around a cherry and rolled his chair closer to the window, “He’s gonna choke. Twenty bucks says he’ll last three minutes.”

“You’re a billionaire, Tony,” Bruce reminded from where he was watching the two interact. “Twenty dollars doesn’t do you any good.”

Tony grumbled, “Wouldn’t do me any bad, either…”

Inside the room, Kendra looked to the door casually when Steve walked in. A smirk slowly spread across her split lips. “Captain America...The body really does live up to the legend.” She teased and leaned back in the chair so her arms were straight out in front of her.

Steve looked confused but shook it off. “Kendra, right? I’m going to ask you a few questions.”

She nodded, smile ever present. “Good ice-breaker. Could use some work but we’ll get there. What can I do for you, gorgeous?” She tilted her head almost innocently.

Neither of them missed the way Steve’s confusion gave way to red-tipped ears and avoided eye-contact.

Meanwhile, Tony was being hit between the shoulder blades by Bruce as he coughed on a piece of fruit. As soon as he had his breath back he gasped deeply and blurted out, “Oh my God she’s _flirting_! I change my bet, I say he’ll last under a minute and a half.”

“Shush.” Nat smacked his arm and focused back in on the conversation.

“We want to know who you are.” Steve’s voice sounded a little too level to be natural. “Don’t bother lying. We’ll know if you do.”

Kendra raised her eyebrows, “You want introductions? Okay,” She leaned back in the seat and gestured as much as she could while her hands were still bound. “Well, I joined SHIELD with a few friends of mine when I was eighteen. Fury had me acting as an agent inside the agency looking for and reporting coups, and one of my friends and I actually found HYDRA inside SHIELD and helped “kill” Nicholas. Oh,” she winced, “don’t tell him I called him that.”

Steve blinked slowly. She was acting way too familiar for a stranger. “So, um...how did you know to help us tonight?”

She sighed, “I meant to mention this before, but HYDRA is still active in smaller factions. You already know that, but they also still have quite a few tricks up their sleeve, including tracking Tony Stark’s personal bank account.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “...No, no way.” He stood and made his way back to the desk where his laptop was sitting aside on standby.

Bruce looked up with a grimace. “She’s not lying,” he admit. “Just in case, we should do a scan of all our accounts and find the bug. We could start with your banking accounts and work our way into more specific--”

“Found it,” Tony announced. He turned his screen to face them. “It’s a virus that was disguised as a gaming app. It got into my accounts and sent reports to an unknown source.”

“So when you donated ten thousand dollars to her show, they were able to predict that you’d be going to her next one.” Natasha deduced. “Clever.”

“Hey,” Tony pouted, “don’t compliment the enemy.”

“I’ll do what I want, Stark.” Nat teased lightly, eyes still on the glass. “You were just outsmarted by Candy Crush.” 

She ignored Bruce’s badly concealed snort and turned back to the interrogation in front of her.

“So you were able to predict that HYDRA would make a move on Stark when he went to your show.” Steve nodded understandingly. “That’s impressive, I’ll admit. But why the radio message? Who’s Kasey Holt?”

“I’m all sorts of impressive, Captain.” She winked playfully. “I’ve got all kinds of...skills. And the message was just to tell you that I’d meet you as soon as I could. Kasey Holt is one of my aliases, but I can be whoever you want me to be.” 

Her tone made Steve press his lips together and don a ‘disappointed elder’ expression, but otherwise stay silent. She pressed forward determinedly. 

“I mean come on, Captain Rogers,” Ken tilted her head and leaned forward tauntingly. “We’re both a couple of flaming bisexuals stuck with each other for as long as I drag this out. And baby, I can drag it out…” 

Steve sprung from his chair, face and neck rosy and eyes wide open and shocked. With long strides, he crossed the room and threw the door open so hard the handle left a dent on the opposite wall. Kendra called after him with a light laugh.

“Oh, Steve, don’t be like that! I thought we were bonding!” The door slammed shut behind him and left the woman alone to laugh quietly to herself. “Oh, gosh what a gem,” she sighed blissfully and leaned back in her seat again to await her next visitor.

Not even a minute later, the door swung open again and Natasha Romanoff herself sauntered in. She didn’t look at Kendra while she closed the door softly behind her and crossed the room to stand in front of the table.

Only then did their eyes finally meet, sparks of playfulness and irritation mingling between them. Nothing was spoken, but Kendra’s smile widened as Natasha’s glare softened into a professional mask. 

“Why Mystery?” The redhead finally asked conversationally.

The tension in Kendra’s shoulders eased marginally, only noticeable when it wasn’t there. “A friend of mine gave it to me. It stuck. Are you supposed to be bad cop?” She asked.

Natasha chuckled and leaned her hip on the side of the table. “No, that's Steve. I’m impressed, though. You ran him out of the room in a little over a minute.” Her voice was soft but guarded. Kendra figured it was the closest she’d get to talking to her normally. “How did you know my name?”

“I read your file. Remember: I was an agent, just like you, Widow.” Natasha didn’t react outwardly, so she continued, “You know,” Kendra changed the subject, “the last time I was handcuffed to a table I lost all my fingernails. So you’re a little late to that party. But I have nine acrylics and a--...Oh, you took my tracer pinkie nail.” She wiggled the appendage around in small circles, scarred skin shining where there used to be a nail. 

“Of course,” the assassin smirked, “we’re nothing if not professional.” 

“I guess we have that in common, beautiful.” Ken winked, “I’m going to assume you’re trying to get as much information out of me as you can before either Fury or Hill show up to kick my ass?” 

“Cute and smart,” Natasha sat back on the table and leaned back on her hands. She sent Kendra a positively scorching look before humming, “Don’t you just have it all?”

“Whatever I’ve got is nothing compared to you, Ms. Romanoff.” Kendra was leaning forward little by little but didn’t stop herself until she was only a few inches away from the other woman. Because of the height difference, she was craning her neck to look up, but Natasha was looking down, so she didn’t care if she looked desperate. “Let me guess,” she coaxed softly, “pansexual?”

“You’re good at this.” Natasha tilted her head. She could see that she was only playing the flirtatious idiot to redirect any questions. She had given them all she wanted them to know and wasn’t going to be swayed. But Natasha never gave up easily.

“It’s my other superpower.” Ken smiled gently and tilted her chin further up. “Wanna show me yours?”

Natasha smiled when her opening revealed itself, but just before she could get the words out, the door next to her swung open loudly. The dent on the wall would require professional help, by now.

Fury was yelling before he fully stepped into the room. “How many times do I have to tell you to stay low and not go snooping?!” He ignored Natasha completely and instead slammed his hands on the table in front of Kendra. His outfit was shockingly casual compared to his usual all-black uniform; this time he donned a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt with a brown leather jacket.

Bruce yelled from the other room urgently, “She’s casting a shield in the restraints!”

The soft passion in Kendra’s expression was replaced by a fiery determination in nanoseconds. She responded in the same tone. “I didn’t do it this time, Grandpa!” Ken threw her arms in the air, handcuffs now popped open on the table and her chair. Natasha was backing up and holding her arm out, widow stings charging beneath the sleeves of her jacket. Kendra and Fury ignored her completely, though.

“I’ve got a whole city asking police forces what the hell happened out there!” Fury snapped, ignoring the name she called him. 

“That isn’t your job anymore!” Kendra challenged, “They bought tickets to my show and I just _happen_ to have an emergency plan for if HYDRA attacked! And they did!”

“People could have died!”

“They didn’t! I made sure they didn’t! Maybe you’d know that if you _picked up your damn phone_!”

Natasha was just getting more and more confused. Was she a threat or not? They certainly knew each other but from what she saw they weren’t exactly friends.

A gentle hand tapped her forearm, signaling her to lower the weapon. Maria Hill was standing at her side, looking tired and nonplussed in sweatpants and a bathrobe. “Just let them go,” she sighed, “it’s normal.” 

Natasha blinked, but slowly lowered her hands. She wasn’t used to not being in the loop. Meanwhile, Fury sighed heavily and rubbed his eye. He had traded his eyepatch for an adhesive patch that stood out against his dark skin.

“Agent Romanoff,” He began, “Meet Agent Kendra Hickman. Special Forces and a royal pain in my ass.”

Ken just huffed and stood up to sulk behind him. Her cut bottom lip jutted out sharply and she kept her glare on the back of Fury’s bald head.

“Hickman came to us about ten years ago,” Hill explained, “She brought information directly to SHIELD regarding a HYDRA weapons deal when the police wouldn’t listen to her or her friends. With that information, we were able to shut down a large fraction of their dealings, including a slave trade operation in Northern Asia.” 

Kendra straightened a little at the praise and banished the pout from her face. Her gray eyes met Natasha’s green and stayed on her while Fury went on.

“I had her join my inner circle right off the bat.” He sat down heavily in the chair Kendra had vacated. “I wanted someone with a knack for finding trouble to find it inside SHIELD and report back. She went in under the title of STRIKE recruit, but has some espionage under her belt.”

“It was because of her that we were able to have a contingency for HYDRA,” Hill said around a yawn. “She acted as a recruit and traced the infection through the enlisted officers. Pierce was still a surprise for us but even then she got the failsafe chips for you all to put in the helicarriers. She even helped us make it look like Fury was dead. Was by his side the whole time.” She sounded relieved as she said it, telling of her trust for the woman.

The subject of the conversation raised her hand briefly. “Why do I feel like a used car you're trying to sell?”

“Because you blew your damn cover, Hickman.” Fury grouched, “I’m not even in the game anymore but you still need me to hold your hand. You even let them lock you to a table.” 

“I got out!” 

“Regardless,” Ever the peacemaker, Hill stepped in. “Until we’re sure HYDRA is no longer involved in any of our lives, everyone is to stay put. We know this divides the team, but I know you can handle it for about a week. We need to ask Stark if it’s okay to use his tower as a shelter for that time.”

The intercom buzzed on, “ _One condition_ ,” Tony’s voice projected, “ _You both learn how to freaking knock before you rush my damn house._ ”

“I’m not coming back if I can help it.” Fury assured and stood. He subconsciously rubbed a hand over where he was shot in the chest only a few years prior. “We’ll be in touch, Romanoff. And if she doesn’t behave, set to stun, not kill.”

“Hey!” 

But Fury and Hill were already making their exit, through the observation room and into the hallway elevator. With a pleasant _ding!_ the doors slid shut and they were gone. 

Steve blinked slowly and turned to Tony and asked incredulously, “How are you so calm about this?”

Tony ate another cherry and shrugged, “Pepper said I need to make new friends. And how the hell do you think letting the rest of you stay in my house went? This is mild in comparison.” He nudged Bruce with the bag of snacks, but the scientist didn’t respond from where he had laid his head in his arms on the desk.

Natasha was less surprised. Fury had literally nowhere else to put her, and this in itself was a sign of his trust in her. She just had to make sure they would all make it the week living under the same roof.

“You get an escort wherever you go, and our AI watches you at night. Understand?” Nat pointed at their houseguest. 

Kendra nodded seriously, “I’ll be good, I swear. I don’t want to disappoint him either.” 

Natasha blinked once before lowering her finger and spinning on her heel to leave the room. Kendra followed and watched her step lightly down the hallway. “Oh yeah,” She grinned at the other three men in the room. “This is the start of a beautiful friendship, I can tell.”


	3. The Hottest Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Assimilation into the team, Sam and Ken kinda know each other, The Black Widow looks into Mystery's past, Peter is Tony's son, Natasha flips the Avenger's trial member.

The next morning proceeded as well as anyone could have expected in a complex full of superheroes to go. With yelling and cereal all over the counter.

“I said I’m sorry, what more do you want from me?!” Tony was shouting at Sam while gesturing dramatically. The skeleton of one of his gauntlets hung from his right hand, palm still gently glowing cyan blue. He had accidentally activated the pulse blaster and shot a hole in Sam's frosted flakes box. The resulting chaos was as followed: 

Sam, with his ruined and charred cereal box laying on the kitchen bar in front of him, gestured to the mess. “Maybe clean up the burnt frosted flakes all over the damn kitchen?” 

Bruce silently moved his coffee and paper from the table to the living room area.

Tony looked perplexed. “Clean? No, I don’t want to do that.” He swept a few flakes off the counter and rest his elbows on the granite. 

While he went back to fiddling with his technology, Sam narrowed his eyes. “Really? And that’s just the end of that?” Before Tony could make a sarcastic quip, Sam grabbed the box and shook it at the billionaire. “You blew a hole in my breakfast!” 

“You have broken so many of my things, Wilson, don’t even try it.” 

Bucky shuffled out of the elevator with extreme bedhead and droopy eyes. The gray sweatpants and white tank top he wore were loose-fitting and comfortable looking. He glanced between the glaring match going on over the bar and slurred, “Wha’s goin’ on?” 

From the armchair at a safe distance, Bruce answered, “Turf-wars.” 

Bucky nodded and shuffled around the cereal scattered on the floor towards the fridge. Sam and Tony continued to squabble behind him while he assembled his own breakfast. 

The rest of the tower had begun to either wake up or begin their day after working out. And because it was only the six of them plus one guest, there weren’t many places they could go on the floor to avoid each other. Natasha and Steve, fresh from the boxing ring and way too awake for so early in the morning, came from the stairwell in the hallway and into the living room together. 

Neither of them really spared more than a glance at the verbal battle going on in the kitchen, though Steve did give a small smile and wave to Bucky. He, in return, tried to smile back around the banana in his mouth but ended up looking goofy with his cheeks full. 

The elevator dinged pleasantly just before Sam scoffed loudly and tried to set the cereal box down angrily, but the crummy box slipped from his fingers and flew behind him in a spin. 

Bucky, totally oblivious to the projectile tumbling towards his back, didn’t notice. The whole room tensed in preparation for the light blow and possible anger that would come after, but the box never met its mark. Instead, it hit an invisible barrier and dropped back to the floor, making more of a mess of burnt cereal flakes.

Just inside the elevator with her hand raised almost lazily, Kendra yawned. “Earth’s mightiest heroes, at their finest,” She drawled sarcastically. The shield she cast vanished when she lowered her hand. She was wearing a large black Metallica t-shirt that hung off one shoulder and brushed her upper thighs.

Natasha was a little less amused and stepped towards her purposefully. “Where is your escort?” 

Ken pointed at Tony, who in turn pointed at the ceiling. FRIDAY replied over the intercoms, _“I’ve been put in charge of Tony’s shift watching over Ms. Hickman.”_

Kendra padded through the kitchen towards the cupboards. “Oh, come on, Fri,” She teased the AI, “You’ve seen me naked, I feel like we’re on a first name basis, by now.” 

_“Perhaps, Ms. Hickman.”_

Sam narrowed his eyes at her smirk and somewhat familiar eye roll she sent up at the ceiling. “Do I...know you from somewhere?” He asked tentatively. 

Bucky inched his way past her, keeping a few feet between them the whole time, to get over to Steve and Natasha. The redhead had given up on silently scolding Tony with a pointed glare and was pretending to not pay attention to Sam and Kendra’s conversation. The super soldiers started their own conversation about exactly how close the cereal box was to hitting Bucky’s head, so she pretended to be in tune with that talk, instead of eavesdropping on the newcomer.

“Yeah,” Kendra was replying while she peeled a banana, “we were in the same basic training course. Like, nine years ago we were stuck in the same mess-hall during that nuclear bomb drill.” 

Sam’s eyes widened in recognition, “Oh, my god you’re the soldier that accidentally started that fire in the dorms!” 

While Sam chuckled at the memory, Ken smiled sheepishly. “The fire was small! And it was under control, I swear.” She took a big bite out of the fruit while Sam snorted incredulously.

“Half the dorm building burned down!”

“Yeah, only _half_.” 

They seemed to be getting along nicely, Natasha thought absently. At least Sam knowing her so long ago verified the part of her story that involved her being in SHIELD for as long as Fury claimed. she didn’t know why she was so wary around this stranger. Normally she could pretend and act like she was just as welcoming and oblivious to potential threats as her teammates. Maybe it was because this woman possibly knew more about SHIELD and HYDRA than she ever could.

That was bullshit, and she knew it. She was letting her emotions get in the way of her performance as an agent; one of the biggest mistakes an espionage professional can make. She had thought she was a part of Fury and Hill’s inner circle, that she was important enough to be kept in the loop. But alternatively, if she had known that HYDRA was lurking under her bed all this time, would she have even stayed with SHIELD? 

There were a trillion occurrences that led her to exactly where she was standing now, and she couldn’t focus on the “what-if’s”. This wasn’t about who was the better agent; she knew it was her. This was about how big of a threat Kendra could be to her team. Everyone showed their true colors eventually, it was just a matter of waiting her out. 

“So tell me, Wilson,” Kendra asked and leaned on her elbows against the counter. Natasha turned from the room and headed for the elevator with long strides. Kendra ignored her but did feel her heart throb in disappointment at her hasty leave. She’d wanted to at least try and talk to her and get an impression from her. Regardless, she kept talking to Sam as if nothing was wrong. “I can’t leave the tower, so where can I get some clothes that are actually mine?”

Tony glanced up from where he had hunched over his technology again. “I thought that shirt looked familiar. FRIDAY, what the hell?”

_“You neglected your shift and put me in charge. I figured the least you could do was loan out one of your shirts for our guest.”_

“Remind me to delete the sarcasm application,” Tony grumbled and went back to tinkering. To Ken, he said, “We have some SHIELD training suits you can wear until we order you something else.”

“Thanks,” Ken tossed her banana peel into the trash can at the end of the island. “Wilson, you gotta tell me some embarrassing stories from your training days, later. You know, fair is fair.” 

Sam chuckled and lifted his coffee mug in a mock salute. “Count on it. Lemme wake up first and I’ll catch you later.” 

“Sure thing.” She replied while he took a long swig and left the kitchen. The fact that he left the mess all over the counters and floors didn’t escape her. 

Tony didn’t seem like he could hold a conversation while working like he was, so Kendra left him to his device and migrated to the living room. Bucky seemed nervous around new faces and crowds, and last night’s gunfight probably didn't do him any favors, so Ken kept a wide berth. Steve cast a grateful look her way when he saw what she was doing, even as Bucky pulled him towards the far couches. 

Kendra plopped down next to Bruce’s armchair with a small sigh. “So, if I can ask, what do you do for fun around here?” She started casually. 

Bruce, very invested in his book, answered absently, “I read, meditate, research...stuff like that. How’s your shoulder?” He kept reading.

Kendra nodded slowly, “It’s good. They barely grazed me.” A few more seconds of silence passed between them before Kendra asked casually, “Would you like to hear a joke?” 

Bruce blinked and looked up from his book at last. “A joke?” He asked like he was perplexed by the idea. 

“Yeah. Okay here,” The woman shifted in her seat to face him. Her expression was playful and eager, which kept Bruce’s attention long enough for her to ask, “What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up?”

“What?”

“It becomes daytrogen.” 

Bruce pressed his lips together to push down his smile. It wasn’t so much the joke itself, but more of the expectant look she had on her face combined with trying not to laugh herself. He held eye contact while her lips quivered and watched while she cracked.

Her voice was just a little higher than usual. “See, because of the-the night?” She snorted and let her mouth stretch into a grin while she leaned back in her chair. “That’s okay it’s a little advanced. Well, I’m going to move all my money into offshore accounts so HYDRA can’t track me through that. I’ll see you around, Bruce.” 

She stood up and left as easily as she came; quietly and without fuss. Bruce smiled a little wider when he realized that she had come over to him just to tell a joke. It seemed like she would fit in pretty easily if she had enough puns to last her the week. 

*******

After a quick shower, Natasha arranged all the printed documentation she found on Kendra Hickman across her bed. She walked around the mattress methodically, trying to find any sign that she could be anything other than what she claimed to be. 

The most interesting thing she found was a file on her old team. They were just kids when they joined SHIELD and barely knew how to live without each other. Gradually, they drifted apart and started dying off, one by one. Only Kendra was left. 

She skimmed through the files and read the report summaries on each agent that she had associated with. 

**Rasa Petkus:** _Female. Deceased. SHIELD level four clearance. Satellite Defense Department. Programmer. Non-combatant. (Kill-count: 1) Non-enhanced. Recruited at age 17. Died of stage four lung cancer at age 27. Origin of Birth: Unknown. Spanish descent._

**Azuolas Gaida:** _Male. Deceased. SHIELD level one clearance. STRIKE 58th rescue squadron. Soldier. Combatant. (Kill-count: 0) Non-enhanced. Included in the following operations: EXO-7) Killed during an attack on the EXO-7 testing site at age 21. Origin of Birth: Landshut, Germany. German descent._

**Harold Kairis:** _Male. Deceased. SHIELD level two clearance. Tactical Planning Department. Recruiter. Non-combatant. (Kill-count: 6) Non-enhanced. Executed by STRIKE Agent Kendra Hickman at age 25. Origin of Birth: Trakai, Lithuania. Lithuanian descent._

Natasha stared at the last statement on Harold Kairis’ report. Being a STRIKE agent involved a lot of groundwork and a lot of bodies on your conscience, but to kill one of her closest friends? There was more of a story to this death that reports and files could express. 

She set the folder aside for the moment and picked up Kendra’s file, noting that it was significantly thicker than her companion’s. 

**Kendra Hickman:** _Female. Status unknown. SHIELD level six clearance._

Natasha blinked at the high number. She was only level seven, and even though she was higher, the fact did make her uneasy. This meant that Hickman knew almost as much as her, maybe more because of how close she would have to have gotten to the lower-down agents. Gossip was powerful and could affect more than just who is involved. She continued reading through the pages.

**Kendra Hickman:** _Female. Status unknown. SHIELD level six clearance. STRIKE 58th rescue squadron. Soldier. Combatant. (Kill-count: 37) Enhanced. (Included in the following operations: Contingency, Avengers Initiative: Phase Three, Mjolnir, EXO-7, Frostbite, Greenwich, Salem, Reheat, Golden Retriever.) Age 27. Origin of Birth: Unknown. French descent.  
Please Note: Enhanced abilities are best used in defensive situations. Good under pressure. Not trained for professional infiltration. _

The Black Widow was stunned. Even she didn’t know what half of the operations listed were. And her enhanced abilities had clearly been exploited at every chance her directors had. She opened up the first documented mission she’d participated in; Operation Contingency. 

Reading through all of them would take her a while, but the story was just starting to get interesting. 

*******

_“What do you mean you’re stuck?”_

Steve shifted on the living room couch so he could hold his phone more securely. Wanda stared back at him through the screen, brows pinched in confusion and worry. He had Skyped the Avengers base as soon as he could to give them a more personal explanation alongside the encrypted message they sent the night before.

“We just have to lay low in the tower for a week or so.” He explained, “No one is hurt but, well… We met this SHIELD agent that helped us out with a HYDRA situation last night. If things go well, she may be coming back with us.”

_“A new team member?”_ Wanda sounded incredulous, and Steve rushed to correct her.

“No, no, not a new member. It’s more like they don’t have anywhere else to go at the moment, so Fury stuck her with us.”

_“So she’s homeless?”_

“I heard homeless.” Kendra entered the living space with her hair wrapped in a towel and a set of clean gym clothes on. “Are you talking about me?”

She didn't sound defensive or upset, just genuinely curious, so Steve nodded and turned the camera towards her. “Here she is. Wanda, this is Kendra. Kendra, this is Wanda.”

“Call me Ken,” She introduced herself while she plopped down on the couch next to Steve. “I’d shake your hand, but this is fine too. So, I’d imagine you have questions.” 

_“Yes,”_ Wanda shifted on the phone screen until she was sitting down as well. _“I was wondering about your credibility as a SHIELD agent. We don’t have any record of you in the information that was released on the internet.”_

“Wanda--” Steve started to remind her to mind her manners, but Ken stopped him.

“That’s understandable. I was officially documented as a STRIKE soldier, but I was definitely involved in a lot of non-combat missions that would be under level eight clearance.” She thought for a moment, “It’s kind of like...I was a secret agent in a secret agency. Working for the bigger goal rather than just my department. Does that make sense?”

Wanda nodded, _“So how can I find your files? No offense, but I don’t trust someone who keeps secrets in a secret agency.”_

“None taken. Agent Romanoff has them, I’m sure she’ll let you read my biography when she gets back to base.”

_“Is that the new agent?”_ A voice off-camera asked, just before a red and green face pushed in next to Wanda’s. _“Oh, hello.”_

Wanda smirked at his formalness. _“Hi, Vis. Yeah, this is Kendra, the magician lady from the report.”_

“Call me Ken.”

_“Ah, yes. Ms. Hickman, I had a few questions of my own, if you don’t mind.”_ Wanda handed the phone to Vision and settled in behind him so she could still see. After Kendra nodded for him to continue he asked, _“How exactly do your mutant abilities work? And how do you use them, if I may ask.”_

“Yeah, sure. Well, you know Susan Storm? or, Susan Reed, now I guess.” She waved off the error. “I can create barriers similar in composition to her’s, but mine are totally invisible. She has a bit of a shine to her powers, mine aren’t as fancy.”

_“Fascinating. And you were born with these enhancements?’’_

“I’ve had them as long as I can remember, yeah. I don’t know my parents, so I don’t know if it’s genetic. Oh,” she snapped her fingers when she remembered, “and I can’t shift them once they’re formed. Or make weird shapes, like Mrs. Reed can. And I can cast then inside of objects and stop movement in it. Like, okay here’s an example,” She shifted so she could use her hands to paint a better picture. “I can cast a shield through a pipe with running water in it, and the water will stop flowing, but the pipe itself won’t be damaged. It works with electricity, too. That’s how I got out of the restraints in the interrogation room without breaking them.” 

Steve nodded and accepted the answer to a question he had been meaning to ask. 

_“So if we had to take you down,”_ Wanda asked, _“we just have to trap you in your own shields.”_

The conversation was silent for a moment. 

“Damn, Wanda tell us how you really feel.” Ken chuckled, “You won’t have to, I promise, but that would be one way, yes. My barriers are also magic-proof, to the point where even Loki couldn’t use his scepter to get through them.”

Steve turned from the screen to look at her incredulously, “You fought Loki? Really?”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Ken teased and pulled the towel off her head to rest across her shoulders. “It also wasn't really a fight, per-say. Just a very involved conversation about some personal matters.” 

_“Sounds like you were very involved.”_ Wanda didn't try to hide her distrust.

Ken sighed and told Steve, “I think I’m going to go find Bruce. He seemed bored.” She stood but waved back to the camera with a small smile. “It was nice meeting you, Wanda and Vision. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

As soon as she was gone, with a quick dismissal from Steve, he turned back to the camera with a deep frown. Vision looked between Wanda and the Captain a few times before he realized, _“Oh. This is one of those “read the room” moments, isn't it?”_ Wanda nodded without looking away from her phone. _“Well then, I will show myself out. I will see you soon, Captain.”_

After handing the phone back to Wanda, he vanished offscreen. 

“Wanda--”

_“I know what you're going to say,”_ she interrupted. _“And I don’t trust her. I’m just letting her know that.”_

Steve pressed his lips together in thought. “I know,” he relented, “but we should still try to make friends before we make enemies. We don’t know her too well, but that doesn’t make her bad. We’ll talk more when I get back, whether or not she comes with us.”

The teenager didn’t try to hide her eye roll. _“Fine. I’ll see you then. Be careful.”_

“You too.” The call ended and left Steve staring at a reflection of his disappointed face in the dark phone screen. He shoved the device back in his pocket, mumbling about “teenagers and this new-age parenting crap” before getting up to go find Bucky.

*******

_“Tony,”_ FRIDAY’s voice projected over the intercom in Tony’s workspace. _“The Spider-boy is coming up the elevator, exactly three minutes early. He seems excited.”_

“Oh, goodie.” He pushed aside the new core he was working on and stretched his arms above his head. “Have him head for the training level. And get the newbie to join us. Might as well show ‘em both how the place works while I’m there.” He finished with a groan and made his way out of his office. 

Tony would deny it until hell froze over, but he'd taken his mentorship of Peter Parker very seriously. And with the recent resurgence of HYDRA, no matter how minor it may actually be, he vowed to keep Peter close until it calmed down. If the agency was in his bank records, who knows how much more information they could have taken from him. He couldn't risk them knowing about his trainee. 

The training deck was only a few stories below him, so it wasn’t more than a minute later that he was stepping out of the elevator and onto the deck. Peter was already swinging through the trapeze course that moved and shifted at different rates; something that Tony had designed specifically to keep him entertained. It looked like Ken hadn't gotten to the gym yet.

Tony spread his arms wide and smirked up at the kid who had yet to notice his entry. “Underoos!” Peter swung around a bar until he was dangling upside down to look towards Tony. “Front and center, kid, we got work to do.” He waved him over and started to cross towards the boxing ring in the more old-fashioned (AKA Captain America’s) area of the space. 

“Oh! Y-yeah, coming!” Peter dropped the few feet down to the side of a wall and flipped off the edge to land in a crouch. “Hi, Mr. Stark, I was just--”

“Enjoying your Christmas present?” Tony smirked. 

Peter grinned, eyes lighting up in excitement, then confusion. “But...it’s June.”

“When’s your birthday?” 

“February.” 

“Ah, well,” Tony waved it off, “Let’s just consider it a ‘Welcome To The Team’ kind of thing. And it comes with,” He imitated a trumpet fanfare, “your own almost all-access pass to Avengers Tower! Ta-dah!” He held out the keycard he’d had made for Peter with dramatic flair. 

Peter stood, shocked, with his jaw slack and staring at the card like it was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Now that Tony thought about it, it might come pretty close to being just that. Slowly, he reached out and took the card in a slightly shaking hand. “W-wait, is this a test? Because I don’t think I can--” 

Tony cut off his rambling. “No test, kid.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. “Just a new opportunity, and a reward for doing a hell of a job with the city these past few months. I mean sure,” He shrugged and started pacing towards the glove rack at a leisurely pace. “there have been a few anti-heroes around lately; a couple of people defending the common good and all that, but you stand out. You deserve that.” 

While Tony strapped on his gloves, Peter turned the strip of metal over in his hands, admiring the simple design like it was art. “So-so does this mean I can just...come in? Like you giving me a house key?”

Tony pointed a glove at him. “No parties. I will know, and I will kick your ass. But yeah. Pretty much. You’re officially a part of the Avenger Training Program I just made up. So you’ll need to swing by for practice and stuff.” He used his teeth to pull the last velcro strap over his wrist. “And you’ll be staying close for the next week or so. Just for training, Aunt May already knows and is enjoying a vacation of her own, so don’t worry about that. Let’s see, what else…” He tapped the gloves together thoughtlessly while Peter reeled at the news. “Could’ve sworn there was--”

“Tony, you know how to move money to offshore accounts under the radar, right?” Kendra didn’t bother announcing herself before walking through the automatic double doors. She had changed into black SHIELD regulation basketball shorts and a matching hoodie, with a small tablet balanced on her arm. She finally glanced up at the top of the stairs and took in the company. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had guests?” She phrased it like a question, asking if she should stay or leave.

Rather than answer her, Tony gestured to his protege. “Ken, this is Peter. Peter, Ken. We were just about to get into some basic fighting do’s and don'ts So I need someone who’s been in a fist fight. Come down.” He gestured lazily. “I need a good workout.” 

Ken shrugged and made her way over, setting down her tablet on the way. Tony continued to Peter, “You’ve been in fights before, I know. But most of it’s been instincts and that freaky sixth sense of yours telling you to dodge and jump. Ken is new here, she’s gonna be my practice dummy because I can’t actually hit her.” He took a stance facing Ken while she climbed into the ring. 

“Wai-Wait, why can’t he hit you?” Peter sounded a little stunned, still. 

“She’s got shields.”

“I’m just that good.”

The two answered at the same time. 

Ken smirked at Tony, while he narrowed his eyes. 

“Think you can get me, Stark?” She pulled on a pair of spare gloves and moved to face him. 

“I think I can hold my own, Houdini.” He tapped his gloves together. “Otherwise I’ll have to fire my trainer.” 

Kendra smiled gleefully, “Well then let’s go. I love proving people wrong.” She put her hands behind her back and waited. “I won’t hit you, but if you can land one on me I will be very impressed. No powers, either.” 

Tony raised his eyebrows, “Well now this seems unfair.” 

“Sorry, do you want me to hop on one foot?” She teased and jokingly jumped around on one foot. 

Tony grinned and put up his gloves. “Let’s go, magician.”

Tony started with a quick jab at her exposed stomach, which she turned away from and ducked under his quick left hook immediately after. She hopped up and down on the same foot with a teasing grin across her face. She dropped onto both feet after a moment and raised her own gloves.

“Okay, now I get to try and hit you.”

Tony stepped back, “Wait, what?” 

Kendra followed him back until they were just following each other around the boxing ring. “C’mon, Tony!” She teased, “Isn’t that how fighting works? You try and hit me and then I kick your ass?”

Peter, meanwhile, was looking between them with rising confusion. “Um, Mr. Stark, should I--?” He tried to ask.

“No, I’ve got it!” Tony assured, “When this happens you just need to find a weak point... and--” 

He tried to strike at her side, but Kendra caught his wrist between her arms and pulled him behind her while one foot swept under his legs. He was let down to the ground fairly gently, all things considered, but still landed with a heavy thud.

Ken chuckled while he tried to get his feet under him again as fast as he could, and Peter looked unsure as to whether he should step in or not. 

“Having fun?” 

The three spun towards the doors, where Natasha stood with her arms crossed and her hip cocked. Her expression was playful, but her eyes held an underlying hardness that gave away her suspicion. 

Ken smiled and waved while she replied. “Yeah! Just trying to get Tony’s trainer fired. Care to join?” She swept her arms across the ring invitingly. 

Peter let out a small squeaking noise, then turned away from Tony’s questioning gaze as soon as he caught it. 

Nat hummed thoughtfully and moved to the wrapping station. While she wrapped her hands with a precision that could only be learned through repetition, Tony stood and sided next to Peter. 

“What’s the matter with you?” He mumbled to his protege, “You look like someone just sucked the oxygen out of the room.”

Peter flushed and stammered, “I-It’s just that’s the Black Widow…! Like, the Black Widow!”

Tony glanced at her, then back at Peter. “You’ve met her before.” 

“Not really,” the teenager subconsciously wiped his palms on his pants. “We fought in the airport but I never talked to her. She’s just...power.” 

Tony raised an eyebrow at his protege, “Calm down before you give yourself an aneurysm, kid.”

“Right, right,” He puffed out a breath, “I’m cool, I’m good.” 

Widow finished with her hands and slid under the ropes to face Ken with her hands on her hips. She didn’t know if the whole happy-go-lucky personality thing she had going on was just an act or not. People revealed their true selves while they fought, and whether or not she was vicious or not would determine exactly who Kendra was. 

“Alright, Mystery,” Natasha leaned back into a fighting stance like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Ken shrugged and threw her gloves aside. She took up her own stance almost lazily. “I know I won’t win, so there’s no point in trying to prove you’re the alpha or whatever.” 

The fact that she figured out her play so quickly made Nat hesitate and barely block the blow that sailed for the side of her head. With the same hand she’d used to block, the Black Widow used the momentum to yank the arm behind her and pull Kendra’s body to the ground. The woman yelped as she was thrown under the assassin and pinned with relative ease. 

“That was fast,” she wheezed with Nat straddling her chest and her arms trapped under the woman’s knees. 

Nat allowed a small smirk to crawl onto her face. “And here I thought you were special forces.”

A cocky grin found its way across Ken’s face before Natasha’s world flipped. Her opponent had managed to shift the foundation of her hold and grip both her wrists in one fluid motion. She felt the mat hit her back and a heavy weight settle firmly across her thighs. Kendra had planted herself over Natasha securely and left her almost no wiggle room.

Kendra leaned forward, keeping a firm grip on Natasha’s wrists on either side of her head. Her voice was lowered and a little more breathless than usual when she replied, “I am.” 

While Kendra was mostly composed on the outside, inwardly she was borderline hysterical. Any moment now, the Black Widow herself was going to break free of her hold and kick Kendra’s ass into the next dimension. Breaking free of her hold was instinct, at first, but pinning her back was a reaction that seemingly came out of nowhere. She knew she couldn’t win against her without using her abilities, but for some reason, she’d felt compelled to prove something. What that was, she had yet to figure out.

A strange sound from beneath her drew her back to the present, where Natasha was snickering quietly. 

Ken wrinkled her brow in confusion. “What?” 

This just made her begin to laugh quietly, still pinned under Kendra. “You were trying to sound cool when you said that, weren’t you?” She teased with a smile that warmed her eyes.

Kendra pretended to take offense and released her wrists to sit back. “Trying?” She put a hand over her chest, “I’ll have you know, Ms. Romanoff, that I am the _coolest_ \--GAH!”

Natasha shifted her hips aside and yanked Ken around so she fell back against her chest with her arms pinned over her stomach. Her legs wrapped around her knees in a very snake-like way to completely immobilize the agent. 

“Yeah, trying,” Natasha teased. Her lips were so close to Ken’s ear she could feel the heat of her breath. “Looks like you need some more practice, magician.”

Ken had definitely ascended to the afterlife, but managed to only sound a little strangled when she quipped back, “I mean, if you’re offering…” She left the end of her statement open and waited for an answer. 

Natasha hummed thoughtfully, “I could teach you.” 

“Yay…” Ken cheered weakly with the small amount of air she was able to take in with the crushing hold over her torso. How such a small woman could be so strong would confuse her until the end of time. 

“ _Ahem_.” 

Tony cleared his throat from where he and Peter still watched by the edge of the ring. He waved with a mischievous smirk on his face. Peter was really focused on not being focused on the two women on the floor. 

“Hi, remember us? The people here to actually train and not do bedroom acrobatics?” Tony asked sarcastically then gestured to Peter, “I mean, should I cover his eyes, or…?”

Moment broken, Natasha shoved Ken off of her and onto the mat. “No, Stark. I’ll leave you to get your ass kicked.” She rolled to her feet effortlessly and looked to Kendra, who was still sitting on the floor staring up at her with wide gray eyes. “You’re pretty good. You need to brush up on your stance, but you’ll get better.” 

Ken blinked slowly and watched her walk away. “Uh...thanks.” Nat gave her the grace of a slight nod in response before letting the doors slide shut behind her. 

A full three seconds passed before Peter turned to Ken, bouncing with excitement. “Dude!” He exclaimed, “That was the Black Widow!” 

“Yeah,” Ken said absentmindedly, “I got flipped by the Black Widow.”

“And how does that make you feel?” Tony joked.

Ken whipped her head towards him with a gleeful expression. “Awesome.” 

Tony rolled his eyes and tossed his gloves at Peter. “Here, kid. She’ll get you started while I transfer all her money into one of my dark web accounts.” He picked up the tablet she brought in and got to work while Peter struggled with the laces on the gloves.

Kendra took a moment to shake the gay thoughts from her head. It wouldn’t be good to try and date co-workers, especially this early on in their partnership. She wasn’t even an Avenger, and probably wouldn’t be hanging around for much longer, so there was no point. 

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. Even as she replayed the laughing eyes Natasha had cast her way over and over in her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to @rneerkat on Tumblr for the joke.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	4. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha and Kendra run point on a mission while Bucky and Steve relax for once in their goddamn lives.

“So the Caribbean?” Ken asked the super soldiers while she browsed the mission file she was handed. “Why do you need me, again?”

Bucky stayed quiet and just kept staring at Kendra like she would betray them at any given second. Steve answered without looking up from his own copy. 

“We need someone who’s face won’t be recognized. And somehow you managed to keep your identity a secret all these years.”

“Only because her SHIELD files weren’t in the mainframe when I uploaded everything online.” Natasha assured from the pilot seat of the quinjet they were flying in, “Otherwise we wouldn’t have pulled you from your reality shows.” 

Ken put a hand to her heart, “The things I sacrifice for this country...and whoever this guy is.” She flicked the photo of a retired senator. “Why do people want him dead, again?”

“Richard Anderton, and because he’s genuinely good,” Steve answered and finally looked up at Ken, sitting across from him strapped into her seat. “He wants the government to have less power over common matters, and distribute wealth from the upper one percent to the less-fortunate communities in North America. He’s not the problem, his opponent is.”

Bucky spoke up for the first time, a little hesitant but not meek at all. “He’s up for re-election and is only really in trouble of losing to some guy that once ran a reality show. He’s violently conservative and the exact kind of guy HYDRA and other terrorist groups would want in power.” 

Ken wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Gross, I’ve heard of him. So we think some radicals would have put a hit on Anderton to make sure the other guy wins?” 

“Which is not how politics work, but yes,” Natasha answered. “Rogers has a plan to find the assassin and the radicals. It should all be really low-key.”

“Anderton is on vacation right now.” Steve got right into his plan and set his file aside. “Since he’s single, the plan is to give him some...company that can also keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.”

“Annnnd there it is.” Ken drawled and leaned back in her seat. “I was wondering why you were letting me out of the tower before my one week was up. It’s because you need me to play fake-prostitute.” 

“Pretty much,” Nat confirmed. “Our uniforms are in the duffle bags in the overhang. The plan is to change and split up. We’ll be together until you break off with Anderton at the hotel.”

“Stay vigilant,” Steve ordered, “We don’t know what to expect with this group, and we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

“Got it. Why is Bucky here?” 

Steve blinked at Ken’s question. “He wanted to be here. It’s a low-risk mission, and we have a whole day to do this.” 

“So he’s here for a beach day?” 

“No.”

“What’s in your uniform duffel bag, Bucky?” 

“Nothing, he doesn’t-- Ken, get out of the bags.”

“He’s got sunblock and a beach towel!”

“Kendra, stop it! Put your seatbelt back on!”

Natasha felt her eye twitch at the ruckus that was quickly growing in volume behind her. She almost let out a sigh of relief when she saw the landing pad ahead. “Alright. We’re here. Prep for landing and put your seatbelt on.”

*******

The small beach town they landed in was bustling with tourists. Steve was quick to hustle Bucky away from the busy parts of town and down to the hotel their target would be staying at, leaving Kendra and Natasha to follow at a slower pace. 

They’d all changed into vacation clothes to draw less attention, though Kendra’s “uniform” was much more revealing than Natasha’s button-down Hawaiian print shirt and Bermuda shorts. 

“I hate this plan,” Ken grumbled while she tugged the straps of her swimsuit top into place.

Nat slapped her hand away from where she was trying to tighten the strings. “Stop that. You look awkward.” 

“Hey, you try and look poised in a beach wrap and bikini top indoors. No, wait…” Ken slumped, previous attitude lost. “You could totally do that. Forget it. Where’s the guy I need to tolerate?” She put her hands on her hips and looked over the lavish hotel lobby. 

“He’s not here yet,” Nat sighed and dug through her purse. “Steve and Bucky are tailing him until he gets here, then he’s in our hands. Checking in, please.” She addressed the hotel secretary and held out a card for the woman to take. 

“So we’re just...hanging out, until then?” Ken picked up the one suitcase full of surveillance gear and weapons between them. “Nothing wrong with that, just...thought this thing would be an every minute on the minute kind of thing.” 

Nat got her card back from the secretary and made her way towards the lobby elevators. “I’m an assassin, I don’t _hang out_ ,” Natasha didn’t wait for Ken to get into the elevator with her before she hit the button. Her partner managed to slip through the doors before they closed just in time.

“Well,” She smiled at Nat’s profile, “Maybe we should change that.”

Natasha was silent, and kept her head facing forward. She couldn’t understand why this woman, who she had only met a few days ago, was trying so hard to get close to her. Normally, she would think she was an enemy spy trying to make her let her guard down, but Fury had given her his stamp of approval. 

That was another thing she couldn’t wrap her head around; why would Fury, one of the most untrusting and paranoid men she’d ever met, believe in Kendra? From what she could tell (and she could tell an awful lot, thank you), Kendra had the personality of a klutzy comic relief with the skills and tragic backstory of a soldier. The thought that she could be faking it had occurred to Natasha, but she’d seen and practiced too many fake smiles to be fooled. She was just...like that.

Which made even less sense that Fury would trust her with anything. Someone that driven by emotion was unstable in the field, hard to trust, and bad at following orders. She was the last person Fury should have considered to be a mole in his own organization. If he’d gotten someone like her, like Natasha, maybe they could have eliminated Hydra before they took down SHIELD. 

The doors slid open with a pleasant _ding!_ and allowed the women to exit onto their floor. While they walked down the hallway in silence, Ken’s phone chimed.

“Oh,” She hummed after glancing at the screen. “Steve says Anderton is here, but he’s with a few of his friends in the café.”

“We can wait,” Natasha ordered, “If this killer is even a little smart they’ll wait until he’s mostly alone. Tell them to make sure he doesn’t eat anything. I won’t risk him getting poisoned because we were busy unpacking.” She found their room number and swiped her card a little aggressively. 

Ken had surely noticed the bitter tone she spoke with, but wisely didn’t mention it.

It only took them about five minutes to get their surveillance gear setup and operating properly in the one-bed suite. Natasha left the suitcase open, and the screen and keypad inside powered on. Tony had sent them off with a wireless device that automatically hacked any camera in the building they were in and projected the screens onto the suitcase-screen, making setting up relatively easy.

Ken left Nat to spread out their equipment and files on the bed for Steve and Bucky and approached the window. She peered over the ocean view they had paid extra for with a strange twist to her mouth. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” She asked suddenly.

Nat stopped entering passcodes and adjusting settings on the computer and glanced over at Ken, who was already staring back for an answer. “Okay.” She didn’t phrase it like a question, but made sure to show her disinterest. 

Ken at least looked a little surprised that she would show irritation with her, but cleared her throat softly and answered with her eyes back on the window. “I hate the ocean. Always have.” 

Natasha hummed in acknowledgment and went back to typing. 

“I mean,” Ken continued in French, “It’s too big, you know? Maybe it’s childish but I always thought something that huge would just swallow me up.” 

“Stay away from the window, you’ll get sniped,” Natasha said thoughtlessly. “We’re ready. Let’s switch off with Cap and Barnes.” She stood and set the computer down without looking at Ken and left the room. 

Ken blinked after her. “Okay,” she mumbled to herself in Lithuanian, “Heartfelt admissions of fears in French do nothing. Good to know. Cool.” She stubbornly pulled the straps of the bikini top higher before following her partner to the hotel lobby.

*******

The hotel lobby was a largely decorated space with high pillars and art that didn’t make sense. The main floor was made of marble, dotted with the occasional woven rug that matched the turquoise and gold theme. There were three sections in the space; the front desk and main doors, the dining area complete with a long buffet and an even longer line, and the bar on the far east side of the building. It was gorgeous and expensive and relaxing.

Bucky hated it. There were too many places for people to hide and almost no vantage points. At least Steve looked like he was having a good time, but he could have also been just trying to get Bucky to loosen up.

“Careful!” Steve finally said after Bucky set his water glass down on the table a little too hard. “If we break anything, we’ll draw attention.” He filled his own glass back up and reclined back in his plush chair. “Something on your mind?” 

Bucky shook his head, then had to push his hair away from his face. “Just don’t think I was ready for this. Being outside, I mean. And just after an attack, too.” He was mumbling uncomfortably by the end, but Steve still heard. 

“That’s why we’re here,” Steve cast a gentle smile across the table, “we’re safe here. No one knows you, and Nat and Ken are perfectly capable of handling this mission.” 

“I know that.” He assured, “I’m worried about me, being around other people. If I start to go back to that place--”

“You won’t. You’re stronger than that and I won’t let anyone make you do anything you don't want to.”

The certainty in Steve’s voice made Bucky look up and meet his stony blue eyes. “I’m not losing you again, Buck.” He reached across the table and took his flesh hand from where it was gripping the water glass. At his touch, Bucky felt himself relax marginally. “I’ll never put you in harm's way, and I’ll always be there when you want me.”

Bucky stared at their joined hands, gripping each other so gently. He had to swallow past a dry mouth before asking quietly, “Why?”

Steve’s brows drew together in confusion, like he couldn’t process the question. Just before he could answer, his phone vibrated on the table. Moment put on hold, Bucky drew his hand back and allowed Steve to check the notification. 

“They’re heading down,” he announced after reading it. “You ready to go?”

Bucky nodded and stood as the elevator opened across the lobby. Nat and Ken exit, both looking a little too tense to pass as carefree vacationers. Bucky mentioned as much to Steve as they were leaving, but they knew they couldn’t look back to avoid seeming suspicious.

“They’ll keep it professional.” He assured and took Bucky’s elbow to help guide them through the crowd. “Nat can handle herself, if nothing else. Let’s do some reconnaissance, okay?”

“You mean go to the beach, leaving our teammates to deal with a small group of organized terrorists?” 

“Keyword being small, yes.” 

*******

“Can I sit here?” Ken plastered on her most welcoming smile for Anderton. He still barely glanced up at her, but waved at her to sit either way. She waved down a drink and slid into the barstool smoothly.

“ _Start a conversation._ ”

Ken spoke into her glass too quietly for anyone to hear and replied to her earpiece. “No one likes a backseat agent, Natasha.” She took a sip and spun to face Anderton, who was still politely ignoring her. 

“ _If you could drive I’d stay quiet_.”

Ignoring the jab at her espionage skills, she smiled at the senator. “So what brings you to paradise?”

He spared her a glance and small smile. He looked like a dad, with crows feet around his eyes and welcoming expression. Ken silently vowed to protect him at all costs. 

“I’m on vacation with a friend. And you?” His voice sounded like a dad-voice, too. 

“The same,” She dropped her voice a little lower and said forlornly, “But I think we’re having a bit of a falling out. So I wandered over here.”

His posture shifted to face her easier. He sounded genuinely interested when he asked, “What happened?” 

“Well, we met through work, and things were okay for a while, but I guess she thinks that I’m our old boss’ favorite. Even though she put so much into our company.”

“ _Nice, Mystery, really nice._ ”

“So she’s jealous,” Anderton nodded, “I had a friend like that once.”

“ _I don’t get jealous._ ”

“I think it’s more of a sense of betrayal with our boss, you know?” Ken stirred her drink thoughtlessly and watched the window washers hanging outside the building. “She put so much blood and sweat into our company, and now she feels like our boss was picking favorites. We both have different skills, and maybe she feels like she’s better than me and didn’t get enough credit.” 

Natasha was silent.

“Oh, I’m probably boring you,” Kendra smiled and waved a hand thoughtlessly. “That’s enough about me and my silly problems, tell me about yourself. And I’m Kelly, by the way.” She held out a hand to shake. 

“Richard.” He clasped her hand firmly and shook. “And don’t call me Dick, please.” 

Ken chuckled, “I wouldn’t dream of it. So tell me about this friend of yours. How did it work out with them?” 

He glanced away nervously, “We’re dating now. Very happy.” His drink raised to his lips and he took a quick gulp.

Ken nodded, considering his reaction with a thoughtful expression. “You love him?”

He coughed around his drink and looked to her, shocked. “How-how did you--?”

“Don’t worry, Richard,” She grinned happily, “That’s just my superpower. And I’m bi, so don’t worry about me being a jackass about it or anything.”

He sighed heavily and fanned himself with a chuckle. “Don’t scare me like that! And, we can talk about it here, but on the mainland, people may judge me in that regard. So if we could keep this between us, I would greatly appreciate it.” 

“ _I see movement. Three guys, heading towards the elevators were giving Anderton a look. In pursuit._ ”

“Oh, I understand,” Ken answered them both at once, “Just watch yourself, okay? If that’s the case, things are probably dangerous.”

“ _Will do._ ”

“Oh, I can handle myself, don’t worry,” He gave a hearty chuckle and waved down the bartender. “I’ll top you off, what are you drinking?” 

“Just seltzer water.”

“ _Gross._ ”

“With lemon.”

“ _Worse._ ”

The two window washers began to lower their lift to ground level and unload equipment. While Anderton ordered another drink, Ken watched with narrowed eyes. They were carrying their bags in a weird way, with one hand stuffed inside and all gazes forward. They stepped through the automatic front doors and scanned the lobby before their eyes locked on the back of Anderton’s head, and began advancing. 

“Richard,” Ken spoke just loud enough to get his attention, “We may have to take this party elsewhere.”

*******

While the Black Widow had been adamant about always keeping Kendra in her sights at the beginning of this mission, she decided to take the risk to follow her lead. A man, bald and wearing a comically colorful shirt, had stared at Anderton with a little too much familiarity and malice for her to ignore. 

It was easy enough to get into the same elevator as him, play the cheerful stranger, and get out on his floor with him. She headed in the opposite direction, then ducked behind a corner to watch for the room he entered.

She took a silent breath before approaching the door and tapping out a knock. “Hello? I locked myself out of my room and I was wondering if I could borrow a phone?” 

Silence.

“Please?” She knocked again, “I just saw someone come in here, I know you’re in there!” 

A moment passed, then the sound of the chain sliding through the lock scraped through the wood door. The same man that was in the elevator with her answered the door with a scowl. 

“What do you want?” He snapped. Natasha noticed that his posture and stance screamed alpha-male, so she adjusted herself to a more intimidating appearance.

“Like I said,” She made a show of lifting her chin in defiance, “I need to borrow the phone in your room. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

He opened his mouth to retort, then froze. His expression morphed into panic, and he tried to slam the door on her. She caught it with her foot and body checked it open the rest of the way. Her opponent fell to the floor and crab-walked away from her. 

“It’s the fucking Black Widow!” 

He barely had time to yell out a warning before Natasha brought her leg up to kick his chin back. There were two other men in the suite, and two beds covered in guns, surveillance photos, and a maintenance uniform. 

“ _Widow, we might have a group of two out for Anderton. Moving him away for now._ ”

Kendra’s message was background noise to Natasha, who suddenly found herself in a very involved fist fight. 

It wasn’t hard to lean back from the first swing, and throw her weight into a jab to her attacker’s throat. While he was incapacitated, she spun to face her last opponent, who was fumbling with a handgun, struggling to load it. 

She approached him calmly, and grabbed his wrist, halting his movements. In her silkiest voice, she asked, “It would be best for you to not start your prison sentence with a broken arm, don’t you think?”

He gulped audibly and dropped the unloaded gun and magazine on the floor between them. 

Natasha hummed, pleased. “Good boy.” She used her free hand to shove his face back and knock his head against the wall so hard it dented. He slid to the floor and landed in an unconscious heap. 

The assassin looked around the room, which remained mostly untouched besides the two unconscious men on the floor and the last one heaving breaths through a bruised trachea. Nat sighed and called back in through her earpiece while she took a pair of handcuffs from the compressed vest pocket under her shirt. 

“This is Widow, checking back. Everything okay?”

“ _I mean, we’re not dead. But those guys I mentioned are definitely after Anderton. I still don’t know what they want. And they’re armed._ ”

“That’s not a problem for you, is it?” Nat asked while she slapped a pair of cuffs on each perpetrator. “Just play civilian for a bit, and keep him safe. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

*******

Ken scowled, “You know, I wish you were so calm about this because you had faith in me as an agent, and not because you don’t care if I mess up or not.” 

“ _My expectations aren’t too high._ ”

Ken pointed at her ear like she was actually there lecturing Natasha. “That’s it, we’re having ourselves a chat later!”

“ _If you survive the two perps, that is._ ”

Ken clenched her fist so hard the knuckles popped and let a low growl rumble in her throat. She had to take a minute to compose herself in the hallway with a few deep breaths before she could confidently turn back to Senator Anderton.

“Okay!” She said with a voice too cheery to be authentic. “So basically, your life is in danger, my partner has already apprehended the majority of them, and the safest place you can possibly be is right next to me until we take out the threats. That sound good?” 

Anderton stared at her in slack-jawed horror. She could see him connect the dots in his head before he stuttered out, “S-so your name isn’t really Kelly?”

“No.”

He rubbed his forehead in a stressed gesture. “Well, this is a lot of new information… Why do they want to kill me? And who are they?” He was starting to sound panicked, so Kendra took his elbow and started to lead him further down the back hallway towards the pool area.

“Well, here’s the good part of this,” she spoke in soothing tones, “you have a lot of amazing ideas, and a lot of people rely on the crazy people in office to get away with their illegal activities. So they only really want to kill you because your opponent is someone a lot of organizations would benefit from.”

He looked down at her, confused. “That’s not how politics work!”

Incredulously, Ken snapped “That’s what I said!” and made a wide sweeping gesture with her arms.

The two supposed window washers rounded a far corner and spotted them. 

“Oh shit,” Ken muttered before pulling the senator towards a set of double doors. “Here’s to hoping this leads outside!” She shoved one door open with her shoulder, and the smell of chlorine bleach washed over her senses. Immediately, her shoulders fell in dejection. They had wandered into the indoor pool. “Oh, goddamnit.”

No sooner had she spoken than the doors burst open behind them, and their two pursuers each had a handgun raised at them. Ken also had a shield up between them before they were even through the door, but they didn’t need to know that. 

“Nat, we’re in the pool room. Two armed hostiles.” She reported quietly.

“ _On my way. Put a shield up._ ” 

Ken mumbled with only a touch of frustration, “I know, I’m not an amateur.” 

The two threats were busy whispering between themselves quickly, while Anderton stood with shaky knees and raised hands. Ken barely caught their conversation in hushed whispers. 

“What about the woman?”

“We can’t leave any witnesses.”

“Our target is Anderton, not some random civilian!” 

“We hardly have a choice, here!”

Ken would have groaned impatiently if she didn’t have to continue acting helpless. In the midst of her pouting, an idea came to her, and she perked up minutely. She nudged Anderton and winked with a mischievous smile. He looked like he wanted to protest to whatever she was planning, but couldn’t really do anything to stop her.

She pulled her best pouty face and made her voice shake. “Are you gonna kill us?” 

That question always threw villians for a loop. Especially when they didn’t really want to kill someone. 

The men exchanged guilty glances before one caved and lowered his weapon marginally. He waved behind him at the door and stepped aside. “You go. Now.” 

Ken, ever the submissive actress, inched her way past her shield, but left it up behind her so Anderton was still safely behind it. They didn’t even look at her while she got behind them, like she was heading towards the door to escape. 

Anderton, looking a little betrayed but mostly confused, kept his hands up and eyes on Kendra when she turned to face the backs of the two. 

“ _I’m almost there. Don’t do anything stupid._ ” 

Kendra kicked out the back of the taller man’s knee and pulled his arm aside so the back of his own gun smacked his partner’s nose. With a grip on the same arm, she pulled herself up to wrap her legs around his chest and brought her elbow across his cheek. She could hear his partner rousing behind her and trying to get a grip on his weapon. When she was sure he was directly behind her back, she leaned back and wrapped her arms around his neck while simultaneously slamming the back of her head into his nose. With her newfound grip, she pulled her legs up towards her chest and kicked as hard as she could.

Her sandal-clad feet impacted her second opponent’s chest hard enough that she heard a stiff crack echo from his ribs. He went stumbling back and slipped on the edge of the pool before flying back into the water. 

Kendra’s body twisted smoothly to face the now bleeding face of the last opponent, and with one knee to his groin, he was down, gasping and holding the afflicted area. The one in the pool broke the surface with a gasp and hung onto the side to recover as much as he could. 

Anderton was clutching at his chest in shock and staring between the felled bodies and Kendra, who had started grumbling irately and adjusting the straps on her top. 

“Wh-What did you--?”

His question was interrupted by the doors slamming open loudly. Nat took one look at the scene, and lowered her gun. Kendra didn’t look up from her top. 

The Widow’s eyes hardened and fell to Kendra. “What did I say?”

Ken sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, here we go.” She didn’t answer, but instead kicked the kneeling man’s gun towards Nat, who picked it up and unloaded the chamber and magazine without looking down. 

“I told you not to do anything stupid ten seconds ago!” She gestured to the felled bodies and Anderton. “What the hell do you call this?!”

“Um, well thought out and careful?” Ken crouched in front of the recovering man and pushed him onto his chest. “I had a barrier between them and us the entire time! He was safer next to me than he’s ever been!” She pulled his arms behind his back and held his wrists with a knee to stop his struggling and held out a hand to Natasha.

“I’m out of handcuffs.” She grouched but got right back into her lecture. “I was right around the corner. And you putting yourself at risk by taking them out put Anderton at risk! If you were hurt, or lost focus--”

“But I didn’t!” Ken tore the green and white patterned wrap off her waist and brought a corner up to her teeth. “I knew I wouldn’t get hurt, and I’ve never dropped a shield, ever. But how about we talk about your attitude, lately?”

Anderton watched the discussion with the same interest as a spectator at a tennis match who didn’t know how the game worked. Confusion marked his face, but he at least had the sense to dodge away from the edge of the pool as the other would-be assassin started climbing out. 

“My _attitude_?” Nat drew back, looking appalled. “At least I followed orders and carried out this mission!”

“Oh, did you now?” Ken scoffed while she tied off the makeshift bonds she made out of her skirt around his wrists and one ankle so he couldn’t get to his feet. “You were the only one giving the orders! And you let personal interests impact how you worked with me!” She got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. 

“It’s not personal,” Nat scoffed.

“Is it?” Ken’s voice rose in pitch, but not volume. “Look, you could easily kick my ass, and I don’t know what Fury was thinking when he had me spy for him. It’s not a matter of who’s better at what, me getting the job was a matter of opportunity. I had no connections, no enemies, no one knew my face, and I only had three other friends, all of which also swore themselves to the agency.” Ken stopped herself and took a deep breath. “We’ve both lived a lot of life. I get it; you want to trust me, but there are too many things you don’t know.”

Nat looked like she was chewing the inside of her cheek in thought, but her gaze had softened considerably. There was a few moments of tense silence before she spoke evenly with her gaze cast aside. “When Barton took me in, he and Fury became the only people I could trust. I worked so hard to prove myself to them, and to find out that he had a whole other operation running behind my back makes it feel like he betrayed me, somehow.” 

Ken blinked in surprise. “Oh. Wow, I didn’t expect you to actually open up.” She let one arm drop to her side and looked down in thought, “I am not prepared for this. Okay,” she held both hands up in a convincing gesture, “should we just start over? Apologize? Or, I don’t know, call Fury and yell at him or something?” 

Nat gave a dry chuckle, “I’m sure that’d go over well. No,” She shook her head and offered a smile that looked more like a smirk. “Let’s just forget about it. I’ll have to work through some stuff, but it really wasn’t your fault.” 

Ken grinned, “Awesome. I’m glad we’re not rivals anymore.”

Nat raised her brow and opened her mouth to retort, but her face twisted into surprise before she could respond. Ken heard the gunshot fire and deflect off the shield she already had up behind her. She turned around just in time to see the other man clutch at his thigh, where the bullet must have ricochet into. 

He let out a few curse words while he curled into the injury, then slipped and fell back into the pool. Ken snorted and covered her mouth to stifle her laughter at the scene. Even Nat looked a little amused. 

“Alright, let’s call Steve and Bucky.” She approached Anderton to guide him out of the room. “You get him out of the pool.” 

Ken stopped giggling. “Wait, what? No, you get him!”

“You’re wearing a swimsuit. And I have to explain to hotel staff that the gunshot they heard was nothing to worry about anymore.” 

Ken scowled and looked at the struggling man. “I swear to god, I get out of a fist fight with my tits bouncing everywhere and now I have to wrestle some guy into a van in a bikini and sandals. I hate this mission so goddamn much.” Even as she grumbled out grievances, she kicked off her shoes and stood at the edge of the pool. Her target looked up at her with a mixture of fear and guilt. “Make this easy on both of us, will you?” 

And with Nat watching in amusement, she jumped into the water.

*******

They met up with Steve and Bucky an hour and a half later, after Natasha had settled the politics with the hotel and delivered the terrorist into the proper custody. Ken stayed with the Senator the whole time, her guard still up with a towel around her person while she dried off. The mission had been successful, with no casualties or serious injuries. That was a victory in Ken’s book.

“Oh, here,” Ken held out her hand to Andreton, “Give me your phone. If anything happens, you should be able to contact me. Or if you’re just in the neighborhood.” 

He smiled and handed it to her, “I’d appreciate that. I want you and your friend to meet my fiance, sometime. I think you two would get along.”

Ken entered her contact information for a guarded phone into his device. “I’d love that. Here you go, I’m under ‘Kelly Asskicker’. Call whenever.” 

He gave a hearty laugh and took the phone back. “I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you both.” 

“It’s what we do. Call soon, okay?”

Anderton waved in acknowledgment as he walked away. Nat sided up to her with a confused expression. “You just give your number out?”

“To an untraceable phone a friend of mine made me, yeah.” She smiled at her partner, “I like people to feel safer if they can call for help. I give that number to everyone I help.” She bat her eyelashes and intertwined her fingers under her chin. “I’m just so fucking nice, aren’t I?”

Nat couldn’t help the small smile that lit up her eyes. “You’re ridiculous, is what you are.” 

Ken chuckled but dropped the facade. “That too. Oh, look the grandpas.” She pointed to where Steve and Bucky were walking through the entrance to the hotel lobby. 

Bucky glanced at the police leading the small crowd of terrorists away, but his eyes fell on the tissues stuffed in one’s nose, and the one that had to be rolled out in a medical evacuation chair with a bandaged thigh. “What happened here?” He asked.

“We finished the mission.” Nat reported, “They admit to only having as many people in on their little plan as we captured. That’s all of them. Anderton is heading back to the states soon, and he’s said he’s going to keep this quiet.”

Steve nodded, “Good work.” He finally noticed Kendra’s messed up hair and towel. “What happened to you?” He sounded concerned.

“I fought a guy in a pool.” She answered casually, then added with a hint of pride, “And I didn’t even lose my top.” 

“Impressive,” Natasha deadpanned, then turned to Bucky. “She’s okay. Got my stamp of approval, anyway.” She ignored Ken’s stunned blinking and walked towards the hotel exit.

Ken opened and closed her mouth a few times, but couldn’t seem to find the words. She had already accepted that Natasha wasn’t the most emotionally expressive person in the world, but that had almost sounded like a compliment. To have the Black Widow’s stamp of approval? That was a pretty high honor, for her, at least.

Steve sighed, sounding satisfied with the amount of work he didn’t do that day. “Well, that’s done. Let’s head back.” 

Bucky turned to Steve to begin talking about their day, asking something that Ken couldn’t really be bothered to hear for the moment. The Black Widow, no, _Natasha Romanoff_ had given her a personal stamp of approval. The fact stunned Kendra more than it probably should have, but she had to admit that the warm feeling spreading up her neck felt pretty nice.

Slowly, a smile spread across her lips and she allowed the feeling of giddiness to take over her for a split second. Even when the time came to compose herself and rejoin her new teammates, she couldn’t be bothered to wipe the happiness from her expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...do not know how to do line-breaks... That's what those *******'s are.
> 
> I'm too lazy to figure it out. It's fine. You'll forgive me as long as I keep updating.


	5. Stolen Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty gay.

Natasha had made her peace with Kendra’s presence. She was...interesting, to have around. She knew she wasn’t a morning person, if her bed head and droopy eyes were anything to go by. She liked acting out stories, especially if they were funny. And her stare was attentive enough to make whoever she was looking at feel like she was staring at their naked soul. At least, that’s how Natasha felt.

 

Kendra was respectful of everyone’s space, but it felt like she was restraining herself whenever she pulled back from a hug or was careful to keep out of everyone’s bubble. Once, Nat had experimentally offered her arm while they were walking down the hall in the same direction, and pure joy had lit up her face at the offered contact. If she had to guess, the offering of physical contact was like an acceptance into Natasha’s good side. Which she was trying to do, so it was okay, but still.

 

It seemed like she was always finding out new things about her, and none of them were all that bad. 

 

She had the rest of the team’s approval already, granted, some took longer than others to be okay with her presence. And the whole team wasn’t really there, at the moment, but still. Her presence was still foreign to most of them, but she wasn’t awkward and the Avengers was nothing if not adaptable. 

 

So it was looking like she would be coming back to the official headquarters with them. Nat was strangely looking forward to having her on the team. She could handle herself in missions, didn’t let drama drag on, and was pretty fun to be around. She would be a good addition to the team.

 

With her thoughts at ease, Natasha stepped through the automatic doors to the training center. It was pretty early, so most of the team was already asleep, or just getting to bed. This was the time Natasha took to herself whenever she had the chance. It was better to be alone so she could focus.

 

With precise fingers, she tied the smooth satin ribbons of her faded ballet shoes around her ankles. The criss-cross pattern and method were familiar, though not at all comforting. Ballet dancing was the only way she could maintain her balance and grace in combat. The training was intensive but yielded deadly results.

 

Natasha took a few moments to select a familiar song and set up the speakers in the gym. She took up her starting position in the center of the most open space and let the world fade from around her with a deep breath. As the intro faded out, she began to move. 

 

Her steps were coordinated, and always accurate. Years of training would do that to a girl. When she stepped out of the sequence, just barely, she subconsciously flinched in preparation for the punishing strike that always came. 

 

She had to gently reassure herself that she was safe, and didn’t need to worry. Even then, she could feel her muscles stiffening in fear. Her movements became less fluent, and her balance wavered more than once. Eventually, it became too much for her, and she stopped her dance.

 

“Dammit,” She cursed in her mother language with her head bowed and her hands on her hips. “You’re fine,” she reminded herself, “they can’t hurt you. You’re safe. You killed them all.” 

 

She heard the doors slide open, but didn’t look up. She could recognize the intruder by her footsteps. 

 

“You okay?” Ken asked quietly, in English. She hesitated before descending the steps down to the main training area. She was wearing a big t-shirt that skimmed her upper thighs advertising the veteran’s center Sam worked at.

 

“Yeah,” Nat finally looked up and pushed the hair out of her face. “Just training. Why are you up?” 

 

“Couldn’t get back to sleep.” Ken finally made her way down to the gym. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little spooked.”

 

Once again, Nat waved her off and passed her on the way to the stereo system. “I’m fine. Things just got a little intense for a second.” She turned off the soft classical music. 

 

“I was watching through the glass.” Ken admit, “You dance like you’re afraid.” 

 

Natasha spun back to face her, brows drawn and ready to argue that she wasn’t afraid to dance, of all things. That she was good at what she did and knew she was. But the retort died on her tongue, and she had to admit defeat by closing her mouth again. She had frozen up, allowed her thoughts to interfere with the grace the routine demanded and consequently messed it up. She was right. 

 

Ken noticed that she looked dejected and rushed to correct herself. “I mean, not that you aren’t a good dancer, you’re amazing! You just seemed a little nervous to mess up. Dancing should be something fun, you know?” When she saw that Nat still looked lost in thought, she approached her cautiously. “Here. Can I...?”

 

Nat glanced at the stereo keypad she was pointing at and stepped aside to give her access. While Ken scrambled to do whatever it was she was doing, Nat sat down and started pulling off her pointe shoes. Having already resigned herself to an early morning of laying in bed staring at her ceiling, she was getting ready to leave the gym. She had just gotten her other slipper off when the music began again.

 

This time it was a bouncy tune with a noticeable beat Natasha recognized as a top 40 hit. She’d heard this song so much on the radio it had stopped being good. Ken, however, was...dancing? She was moving to the beat but there was no coordination behind it. At best, she was trying to dance, at worst, she was having a stroke and Natasha should be going to get help.

 

“What are you doing?” She asked, unimpressed.

 

Ken struck a pose that involved throwing her arm behind her head and the other resting against her cocked hip. “Dancing!” She said with a grin, “C’mon! Join me. Get loose!”

 

“If you swear to never say that again, I will.”

 

Ken stuck out her hand, “Deal.” 

 

The second Nat grasped her hand, she was being pulled into a spin, then steadied again with another hand grasped in hers. Ken was smiling, totally undeterred by the undoubtedly very confused face Nat must have been wearing. She pulled her into another spin, then let her go to slide their arms over each other’s shoulders. 

 

In the past, the Black Widow had always been in control of dancing with a partner. Even when she wasn’t leading, she had another motive or reason for being there. But now, every time she started to fall into a familiar stance or fashion herself a certain way, Kendra would pull her in another direction. Both of their bare feet padded across the tile floors, unheard over the music and Ken’s breathless giggles, and Nat decided that it was okay to let go just this once. 

 

Nat started to catch on and felt a small smile starting to grow on her face. Spurred on by this development, Ken laughed in glee when Nat pulled her into a shallow dip, then spun her out and under her arm. 

 

“See, now you’re getting it!” Ken mouthed along to the lyrics with her arms above her. The action pulled her sleep shirt up to her hips, but she hardly seemed to care. 

 

The moment was...soft. Nat found herself moving without looking through her mind for the steps. There was no routine or purpose to their dancing, and it hit her like a truck when she realized this was the first time she had danced without a purpose. To just live for herself and be in this moment felt like heaven. And Kendra being there with her felt right, somehow. Like she was just another part of the puzzle sliding into place. 

 

The thought made Natasha slow to a halt, and she felt a lump rise in her throat. How could that be right, though? Kendra was...a friend? Could they even call each other that? All Natasha learned from those moments was that it felt like nothing else mattered. Kendra somehow managed to pull at all the stitches holding her together and open up a new side of her that somehow felt safer without all her walls. It was new and strange and comfortable.

 

And it terrified her. 

 

Kendra had noticed that Nat wasn’t dancing anymore, and slowed to a stop. Her expression melted to one of concern, and she held up her hand for her to take. “Are you okay? Is it too much?” 

 

And fuck if she wasn’t actually worried about her. Without thinking, Nat took her outstretched hand and pushed their fingers past each other to lace together. 

 

“Thank you,” It came out like a croak, so Nat coughed and repeat herself. “Thank you.” 

 

“Hey, yeah, of course.” Kendra was moving closer and putting her other arm around her waist in a partial hug. “I can’t know what’s going on in your head, but I’ll be here to help you figure it out whenever you need me to.” She was too close. “Okay?” 

 

This was unfamiliar to Natasha. No one had ever gotten this close to her because they wanted to help her. Even Clint knew better than to stay too close for too long, lest her training kick in. This was a type of comfort that pressed against her and enveloped her so gently it felt like her mind was hazed in a pleasant shroud. 

 

She didn’t want to put her guard up, but habits were hard to break. Everything was too unfamiliar, and this gentle swirl she’d found herself in had suddenly set off a lot of alarms. It was like she was arguing with what she had been taught her whole life and what she knew to be true. 

 

Kendra felt right, and that was the most terrifying thought yet.

 

Before she even registered it, she was taking a step back. “I…” She let their fingers fall apart, and Kendra’s arm around her slide away, leaving a cold presence behind. “I’m sorry.” The words came out too quietly, too hesitantly. She could feel her composure cracking for the first time in years.

 

Ken could only watch in stunned confusion while Nat spun away from her and marched up the stairs and out the doors like she was avoiding the plague. She blinked a few times, but couldn’t regain her bearings. She flexed the fingers on the hand that had been held by Natasha so tightly just a moment ago and sighed. 

 

She ran the other hand back through her short hair and spoke into the empty room. “Dammit…” 

 

* * *

Steve was a creature of habit. He woke up, went for a run, made breakfast, and ate with Bucky, all before 7 am. And then he let the chaos of living with a family of superheroes run its course. His morning routine was the only truly constant thing left in his life, so he didn’t really appreciate half-dressed ex-magicians sulking in his kitchen. 

 

Ken groaned loudly once again where her head was buried in her arms on the table. Steve tried to ignore it, but when she groaned again, this time sounding like a dying whale, he submits. 

 

“Golly, Kendra,” He drawled sarcastically with his back turned, still focused on the crepes he was making, “what’s wrong?” 

 

She shot up so quickly she swayed from the resulting headrush. “Thanks for asking. I’m just dying over here.”

 

“Not quietly, I noticed.”

 

“When I go out, I’m going with a bang, so yes.” She let her head fall onto the table again and rolled her forehead so she was pouting at the wall. “Nat and I just had a...conversation, kind of. And I thought it was going well, but I guess I did something wrong and now she’s upset.” She made another dying whale noise and interlaced her fingers on the back of her head. “I blew it, Steve. I fucking blew it harder than--”

 

“Stop. Don’t finish that sentence.”

 

She snorted and sat up again. “Good call. It was not tasteful. But seriously, what am I going to do, Steve?” Her shoulders slumped and the pout came back. “I really like Nat, and it seems like I keep doing things wrong with her.” She started absentmindedly scratching the countertop with a fake french-tipped nail. “I thought things would get better after our mission…”

 

Steve studied her distraught expression for a moment. He’d never seen her look so down. She was more animated when Wanda had expressed her distrust of her a week ago. He was used to seeing things roll off of her like oil, not stick with her like Natasha’s approval was. “Well, Nat has a spotty past. You know that.” He slid a finished cake onto a plate. “It takes time to work past that, and you did only meet her about a week ago.”

 

“But we were connecting!” Ken pinched her fingers together and flicked her wrists to demonstrate her point. “I won’t say what we talked about, but I thought we really had something going there!” She went limp and let her head fall back against the backrest. “Maybe she just doesn’t like me? I usually don’t care about this kind of stuff, Steve! It’s fucking confusing!”

 

“She’s got a lot of things going on,” He consoled, “I’d say just give her time. When she’s ready, she’ll come to you.” Steve placed a plate of food across from him, and one at his own place before sitting down. “And she likes you, Ken. If she didn’t you’d know.” 

 

Ken grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t react otherwise. She kept a blank stare on a knot of wood in the table and let her thoughts mull over what Steve said. She didn’t think Nat  _ hated _ her, per say, but there was no concrete proof that she was actually okay with being around her. 

 

Sure, they’d shared a few laughs, she’d let her hold her arm that one time, and then that little “event” that had just taken place. But doubt still lingered in her mind. The Black Widow was the queen of espionage, so if she was just pretending to tolerate Kendra to study her, chances are she’d never know it was happening. 

 

And it hurt, to think like that. But through life, Ken had grown to expect the worst so that the best will seem even better than imagined. Now, the thought of their friendship being a lie hurt like a fist closing around her heart. But she couldn’t be totally sure of either, so she just found herself right back at square one.

 

She sunk back into her previous position, with her head in her arms. In a low drawl, Ken moaned a drawn-out “Fuuuuccck…!” 

 

* * *

Luckily for Natasha, she hadn’t run into anyone on her way to her room. But now she was left alone with her thoughts and nothing to do but pace the length of her suite. Through her life, she’d seen some shit, done some shit, and fucked a  _ lot _ of shit up. But she didn’t want to screw this up. Kendra made her... _ feel _ things, and maybe that reason was why she felt so overwhelmed in that moment.     

 

The mixed signals weren’t even the worst part about this, either. it was the fact that Natasha  _ wanted _ there to be signals at all! She was too busy to deal with whatever this is! Any kind of emotional attachment was bad for the line of work she was in. And now, she had a team to look after, to put  _ at risk _ . Kendra being on that team just meant there were more people in danger.

 

She wanted Mystery on the Avengers, she really did. The skill set she brought to the table could be invaluable to them, and her overwhelming desire to help others was exactly the kind of attitude they needed. But on the other hand, Natasha didn’t want her around, if only because she exposed this weakness in her. It had only been a week, for Christ’s sake! How had she managed to worm her way into her mind so quickly?

 

And she had been so understanding when Natasha had shown the first sign of being overwhelmed. Her voice had been low and gentle, but not pitying or uncertain. She’d pulled her out of her own head and made her feel  _ safe _ . Nothing had ever done that before. Hardly anyone had ever wanted to try.

 

And she’d left her on the training deck with nothing but an apology and what was likely a whole lot of confusion.

 

“Aw, dammit!” She combed her fingers through her hair and pulled lightly in a type of punishment. “Great job, Natalia, now the only person who ever tried to get close to you thinks you hate her. And what the hell was that dramatic apology bullshit?! She doesn’t know how messed up you are! You’re losing it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and forced herself to take a breath. 

 

Today had been too much for her, and there was only one person she could talk to in a situation like this.

 

In the next moment, she was diving for her burner phone and punching in the only number she’d ever had to memorize. It rang twice before Clint picked up, groggy with sleep. 

 

“‘ _ ello? _ ” 

 

“Clint, I need your help.” And maybe the way she’d spoken had been a little too urgent and breathless because the sound of shifting bed sheets and frantic footsteps echoed through the line.

 

“ _ What is it? Where are you? _ ” He demanded. She heard the sound of fabric tearing and a confused woman’s voice in the background.

 

“No, no, not that kind of help. I’m safe. I just…” she huffed out a quick sigh before powering through her question. “Something happened and I need advice.”

 

The line was silent, then Clint sighed in relief. “ _ Good god, Nat, don’t do that to me! I was ready to haul ass and track your phone down! _ ” 

 

“Sorry,” She apologized sheepishly and laid back on her bed to stare at the white ceiling. “I didn’t know who else to call.” 

 

“ _ It’s fine _ ,” She heard sheets shifting again and the creak of an old box spring. Distantly, she heard Laura mumbling a question, and Clint replies with, “ _ No, she’s okay. Just being dramatic. _ ” 

 

“I am not!” Natasha protested but knew he could hear the smile in it. “I may need Laura’s help, too. So wake her up.” 

 

“ _ So demanding… should I wake up the gremlins too? Do you need Nathanial’s advice? _ ” 

 

She chuckled lightly. “Stop.” Her smile faded as she remembered why she called in the first place. “I just want to know something.”

 

“ _ Shoot. Heh, archer pun. You’re on speakerphone. _ ” 

 

“ _ Hi, Nat. _ ” Laura sounded sleepy.

 

“Hi… So um,” She cleared her throat and braced herself, even going so far as to squeeze her eyes shut while the question rushed out. “Hypothetically, what did it feel like to fall for Laura? Theoretically, I mean.” 

 

* * *

 

Bucky padded from the elevators in sock feet and pajama pants. His hair was down and around his face is messy locks, now long enough to pass his chin. Steve noticed and passed a smile his way while his chest got warm at the sight of his friend looking so soft. Bucky returned the greeting and gave a little wave before he sat down. Steve had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from telling Bucky just how adorable he looked. 

 

The pink tint across Steve’s cheeks didn’t escape Bucky’s notice, and he couldn’t help but glance away in a shy manner. He’d noticed that they’d been getting flustered around each other lately, and honestly, he was just waiting for Steve to decide if he wants to become something more, or not. He already had his answer ready.

 

Ken looked between them, reading the interaction. “Should I leave?” 

 

Bucky just seemed to notice her and startled a little. He cleared his throat and sat down, looking embarrassed. Steve looked down as well, cheeks a noticeable red.

 

When no one answered her question, she shrugged and planted her forehead on the table again. Her newly invigorated groan echoed under the table and through the kitchen.

 

Bucky, with a mouth full of breakfast, gestured with his fork and asked, “What’s her problem?” 

 

Steve sighed and sat back in his seat while Ken sat up like a coiled spring. “Relationships are hard!” 

 

Bucky blinked, not surprised at her outburst, but confused with the context. “Al-right,” he sunk into his seat and started cutting up his food. “Go ahead.” 

 

Ken took a deep breath in, and Bucky barely had time to regret letting her explain before she was talking. “Nat and I were dancing and I think I did something wrong because things got a little tense for her so I tried to comfort her and be a good friend but she kept tuning in and out like she  _ enjoyed _ what I was doing but she didn’t  _ want  _ to and I don’t know what to do because I want to be her friend but she doesn’t seem to like me too much!” She gasped sharply and slumped again. 

 

Bucky waited to make sure she was finished, then hummed in acknowledgment and took a bite of food. Ken kept staring at him expectantly. 

 

“...Well?” She asked, “What do you think?”

 

He swallowed and took a gulp of milk before answering with a teasing smirk. “You’ve got it bad, Ken.” 

 

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Oh, fuck off. Like you’re one to talk,  _ Blushy Barnes _ .”

 

Bucky coughed around his glass and hit his own chest a few times to clear his throat. Steve looked concerned and reached over to pat him on the shoulder. This only made Bucky blush again and cough harder. 

 

“Sh-Shut up!” He stammered, “It’s not like that!” 

 

Ken donned her own evil smirk and asked innocently, “Not like what? Care to explain for us, Sergeant Barnes?”

 

Bucky opened and closed his mouth like a fish without water a few times before Steve took pity on him and changed the subject. “Ken, what do you want us to tell you? It sounds like this is something the two of you need to work out together. And if you get on that plane and show her you’re not giving up, without pushing her boundaries, I think things will be just fine. I mean,” he motioned between Bucky and himself, “it took a long time for Buck and me to reconnect, but with a lot of understanding and compassion, now it’s like no time has passed between us.” 

 

They shared a quick smile that said a lot more than words could express. Ken looked between them, confused until a look of realization dawned over her expression. “Oh my god,” she spoke in a monotone, “Are you serious?” 

 

Two pairs of questioning eyes met hers. 

 

Ken steepled her fingers and looked between them from her place at the head of the table. “I, along with half the country, was under the impression that you were together. Romantically.”

 

Her statement was met with separate outbursts of “What?! No, no, no, we’re not--” and “Wait, half the country? We’re not together!” 

 

She raised a skeptical brow. “For the past eight months, I’ve had nothing to do but work, clean, and read social media. You’re in the running for the cutest couple of the year. And I gotta say, watching you two interact in person has just confirmed that for me.”

 

“Well,” Steve blurted out, “it’s not like we’ll  _ never _ date or anything!”

 

Bucky’s attention snapped to him. “We won’t?”

 

Steve blushed again. “I mean, when you feel comfortable maybe- I mean- UGH!” Now it was Steve’s turn to bury his head in his arms and hide his face on the table. 

 

Bucky, to his credit, didn’t follow his example. Instead, he looked to be processing. Kendra, however, did collapse back into her arms and groan, “I came to you guys for help and you can’t even get your  _ own _ relationships straight!” She turned her face to the side and chuckled. “Heh,  _ straight _ . Nothing about this is straight.” 

 

Bucky finally snapped out of his trance with the terrible pun. He raised his hand and gently poked at Steve’s bicep. “Steve?” He poked again. “Steve, come out.” Poke. “Steve, I want to go out with you.” Poke. “Come on.” Poke. This time, his finger met Steve’s nose gently. Bucky grinned at the dumbfounded expression on his face. “I like you, dork.”

 

Kendra peeked from over her elbow, eyes crinkled in a smile as she observed the exchange. Even if her own personal relationships were in turmoil, it was still cute to watch history being made between America’s sweethearts. 

 

Steve took the news with a little less class, looking like he forgot to breathe for a few seconds. “I, uh...yes.” Bucky beamed. Steve seemed to recover a little bit and leaned forward with a finger jabbed in his direction. “But I’m paying for wherever you want to go on a date.”

 

Bucky frowned, looking like he was about to object. One look at Steve revealed that he wasn’t backing down either. 

 

Kendra elected to evacuate the premises before World War Three broke out across Tony’s kitchen table. As she entered the elevator, letting the sound of the fond argument she left behind fade into the distance, she resigned herself to facing Natasha head on. Steve was right; she would just have to let things work themselves out and resist her natural urge to meddle. The plane would leave for the official Avengers base in about an hour, and she was going to be on it. They were grown women, they could handle their own problems…

 

Right?

 

_ Right. _

 

* * *

The silence on the other end of the phone was putting Natasha on edge. She pulled the device away from her ear to see if it was still connected, and after verifying, spoke into it softly. “Hello? Guys?”

 

At last Laura’s voice came through, sounding choked up. “ _ Oh, my god. Clint, it’s happening. _ ”

 

“ _ I’m so proud _ ,” a sniffle, “ _ our super spy is growing up! _ ”

 

“Oh, fuck off,” Nat laughed, “it’s not that big of a deal.” 

 

“ _ Uh, yeah it is _ ?” Clint scoffed, “ _ In the past  _ twelve years _ of knowing you, you’ve never wanted to date  _ anyone _. So what changed? Are they hot? _ ” The sound of a light slap snapped through the line. “ _ I mean, what do you like about them? _ ”

 

Nat paused to think, ignoring his first question, “Nothing changed. I guess...I just like the way she thinks. She’s got this attitude that makes me feel at ease. And I want to chase that feeling.” 

 

Laura gasped, “ _ Oh my gosh, that’s so cute. How did you meet? _ ” 

 

“Pure chance,” She chuckled, “It was so convenient that I thought it was a setup. I took so long to trust her, I’m surprised that she stuck around. But she did, and...I don’t know. That’s why I called.”

 

“ _ Well, you came to the right couple _ ,” Clint bragged, “ _ What do you want to know? _ ”

 

“If I’m in over my head,” She answered instantly, “I’ve never thought about this kind of thing, and I  _ know _ I’m not ready to do any kind of dating thing.” She tucked her other arm behind her head. “But I also don’t know if she even  _ wants _ that. Am I just over-analyzing?” 

 

“ _ How about you start from the beginning _ ,” Laura suggested in a gentle tone, “ _ If we know the whole situation, we can probably tell you for ourselves. _ ”

 

So Natasha did. She spilled the beans on every interaction they’d had since Central Park up until their dance that morning. Every emotion she felt, the guilt when looking back on her behavior on their Caribbean mission, the unguarded smiles that crept onto her face, even the way she felt exposed whenever they made eye contact. She expressed it all in a rush of language combinations, like a glass of water spilling over a countertop. When she was done, there was a beat of silence before Clint chuckled.

 

“ _ Oh, Nat. You’ve got it  _ bad.”

 

She winced, “You think so?”

 

“ _ I know so. But you’re taking this way too fast. Love is something to fight for and everything to lose all at once. And, sorry, but I don’t think you’re ready for that. _ ” 

 

Nat bristled, “Love is  _ not _ on the table. I just, think she’s nice, and want to know her better. I’m not rushing into anything, trust me.” She sounded overly assertive, even to her own ears, so she knew it didn’t slip past the other conversationalists.

 

“ _ Okay, Natasha, _ ” Laura at least sounded reassuring, “ _ you said you wanted to get to know her better? Then do that! Hang out with her more, become closer friends, and make sure you don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. Friendship seems like a good place to start, right? _ ”

 

She nodded, even though they couldn’t see her, “Yeah. I can do that.”

 

“ _ Real friendship, Nat, _ ” Clint sounded just a little chastising, “ _ Not pretend friends until you gain her trust so you can get information out of her. There’s no character to play, this time. You gonna be okay? _ ”

 

No. No, she was not. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them that. “Yeah,” She sat up with a new sense of determination, “I can do this. What should I do, though?”

 

“ _ Whatever you want, _ ” Laura answered with a little amusement in her voice, undoubtedly at her obvious excitement at her new “project”. “ _ This is the real you here, Nat. Just be yourself and the rest will come easily. _ ” 

 

The real her. The real… Oh god, who was she? Her whole life has been a jump from one character to another. It would be hard to turn that off so suddenly. Even her time with the Avengers had been her Black Widow persona, almost her but not quite. This might be harder than she thought. 

 

Laura and Clint waited patiently for her to process the information. “So…” She said timidly, “What do friends do, exactly?”

 

“ _ Oh, hon. _ ”

 

“Don’t you “oh, hon” me, Laura!” She scolded mockingly, “It’s not like we hang out on the regular. And I live with a bunch of men and one teenage girl, so it’s not like I get a lot of “girl-time”.” 

 

“ _ Alright, alright, _ ” She laughed, “ _ Fair enough. It’s like I said, though. Things just come naturally. I don’t want to give you a script or a to-do list in case you try and make this a mission. Understand? _ ”

 

Her shoulders slumped a little, “Yes,  _ Mom _ , I understand.” 

 

“ _ Good. Now go do that! Right now! She probably feels crappy because you left her alone in the training room. _ ”

 

Natasha cursed in Russian and bolted from the bed, “You’re right, I have to go. Thank you both so much!”

 

“ _ Call more often, the kids miss you! _ ”

 

After a quick assurance that yes, she would call more and no, she didn’t want to give them Kendra’s full name yet (because she just  _ knew _ Clint still had SHIELD tech hidden away in his farmhouse and would find a way to contact her separately), she hung up and headed towards her door with the intention of finding the agent. They still had about forty-five minutes or so until the jet left to transport them to their base, which was plenty of time to talk and figure things out.

 

But when Nat did find Ken, now dressed in workout leggings and a tank top and ready for the day, her plan went out the window. What even  _ was _ her plan? Oh, that’s right, she never had one. And her arms were so damn buff--why was she like this? 

 

Kendra was approaching. She had maybe four seconds before she had to talk to her. What was she going to say? What did friends do? What should she suggest? Did she even try and suggest anything, or just let Kendra decide? No. She could do this. What did girls do? What do two  _ normal _ women do when they hang out?

 

Kendra stopped in front of Nat in the hallway. “Hey, Nat. I wanted to apologize for earlier.” Wait, what? “I think I did something out of line and--”

 

“You could braid my hair.” 

 

Kendra blinked. Well, that had come out of nowhere. And been a little aggressive. And in German, so extra aggressive. But Natasha was looking like she was panicking inside and Ken didn’t want her to run off again, so she took the olive branch for what it was and smiled. 

 

“I could. Do you want me to on the way to the base?” Nat nodded, already looking relieved. “Okay, sure!” Ken grinned. “I was going to grab some breakfast, real quick. Want some? I make a mean bowl of cereal.” 

 

The lame joke put Natasha at ease, and she agreed. And just like that, things were okay. 

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Ken did not braid Natasha’s hair on the way back to the base. The whole three-hour trip, Ken was bounced between Bruce and Tony for questions on her abilities, and Sam asking for all the details on how she apparently got the two super soldiers together. Sam was quite the gossip queen, as she came to realize. She knew that the Parker kid would have enjoyed the spectacle; seeing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes so relaxed, but he had left for home. Eventually, they got into stories about ridiculous missions they’d been on, and Kendra had the floor.

 

And Nat watched the whole thing with glee, enjoying Kendra in her natural element. In the middle of eavesdropping in on a story the agent was telling involving fireworks and a meat market, Steve slid into the seat next to her. 

 

“So Kendra came to talk to me this morning,” he began.

 

She hummed, still not totally pulled away from the story Ken was acting out. 

 

“You seem to be getting along with each other just fine.” 

 

She tore her attention away from Kendra’s full-body commitment to demonstrating just how hulking a police officer was to stare at him. His eyes were glinting mischievously. She hesitated before asking, “What do you mean?”

 

He shrugged, “Just making an observation. She seems cool.”

 

Suspicion took over her features. “She is. Why?” 

 

“No reason.” He shrugged. “Just noticing, like I said.”

 

“You always have a reason.”

 

“Maybe so. What do you think of her?” 

 

Nat watched the subject of their conversation demonstrate her “ninja-like reflexes”. “She’s okay. I trust her, mostly. Again, why?”

 

“No reason,” he repeated, “I just know it takes a while for you to get used to people, but you’ve taken to her easily enough.”

 

“Uh-huh…Steve, what are you--”

 

“Okay, kids we’re here!” Tony yelled from the front of the ship. “Everyone get in your seats or be ready for a forceful tour of the cockpit!” 

 

Before Natasha could continue her conversation, Kendra rushed to take the seat on the other side of her. “This is so exciting!” She was practically vibrating with excitement. “I can’t wait to meet the others, and train, and have my own room, and Sam said he’d run drills with me and we already have an idea for this one move--”

 

“Everyone buckled? Good!” Tony’s voice announced from the speakers this time. The plane started to dip forward. “I should mention that I can’t fly a jet. But FRIDAY can! Take us down, Fri!”

 

“ _ Getting there, Tony _ .” The A.I answered as the cabin started to level out.

 

“Oh, right. I’ll be quiet now.” Ken squirmed in her seat to get comfortable and sat with both hands gripping the harness across her chest and shoulders. Nat couldn’t help the little twitch in the corner of her mouth when she compared Ken’s attitude to that of an excited kid. Steve nudged her and raised a brow with a knowing look in his eye. She did her best to ignore him.

 

The plane landed without incident, and soon enough they were all piling out and onto the landing pad. Wanda, Vision, and Rhodey were waiting for them, looking as welcoming as they could. Wanda had her arms crossed and kept her narrowed eyes on Kendra the entire time. Rhodey stepped forward stiffly, still adapting to his prosthetic supports, with his hand outstretched to shake. 

 

“Hickman, right?” She nodded and grasped his hand. “I think I remember your name popping up on my radar a couple times. You were with STRIKE, right?” 

 

“Yes, sir.” She released his hand and saluted formally. “Agent Kendra Hickman reporting for duty after far too long.” She kept a fond smile on her face the entire introduction, and Rhodes was chuckling by the end of it.

 

“You’ll be just fine, Kendra. And call me Rhodey,” He waved her off while he made his way towards Tony. “None of that formal shit.” 

 

Ken turned to beam at Nat, and the redhead realized she had been hovering behind her the whole time. She couldn’t be bothered to move, though.

 

“That went well.” She smirked, “Much better than our introduction.”

 

“Well, there’s no needle in my knee, so I guess I did okay.” Their familiar banter was interrupted by a steady voice.

 

“Pardon me,” Vision extended a hand to Ken. “But I feel the need to introduce myself. I am Vision.”

 

“Oh,” Kendra took his hand, only putting aside a second to absorb his unique appearance. “Kendra. Call me Ken. Sorry, but,” She dropped his hand and narrowed her eyes curiously, “have we met? I feel like I know you but I can’t…”

 

He nodded, mimicking her expression. “I as well, but my memory is near perfect, and I do not recognize you except for our video call, yet...”

 

Ken motioned between them, “Yeah, yeah, it’s weird. I mean I don’t think I could forget your face anytime soon, so--”

 

Wanda placed a hand on Vision’s bicep and tugged him back towards the main building. “Let’s go, Vis. It’s almost lunchtime and you said you’d make me something.” She didn’t even glance at Kendra. 

 

“Ah, yes,” Vision, for his part, didn’t let the interaction phase him and turned back to Ken briefly. “Welcome to the Avengers base, Kendra. It was nice meeting you.” 

 

“You too.” Ken waved weakly as the two turned to walk away. She bit her bottom lip in thought and lowered her hands to tuck her thumbs in her pockets. She mulled over her memories, scanning for any trace she might have had of Vision. He seemed so familiar, yet she was unable to place him. 

 

Nat bumped her arm with her elbow, shaking her out of her thoughts for the moment. “That went well,” She praised and started to walk after the group. Ken kept pace next to her. “So, how’re you holding up?”

 

Ken turned her attention to her and pushed all thoughts on Vision to the back of her mind for now. Those were thoughts to come back to while she was in bed staring at her wall when she should have been sleeping. “Okay, I think. Hey, real quick, do you ever get a feeling that things are about to get way more interesting? Like, the plot in a book is just starting and things don’t quite click yet but you see something and think ‘this is probably relevant’?” 

 

Nat stopped for a second and grabbed at the straps of her backpack. “I guess. Why?”

 

In response, Ken shrugged, hands raising with her shoulders while she hummed out an “I don’t know.” 

 

Nat looked at her curiously and opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden boom of thunder interrupted her. The agents glanced up at the clear blue skies in confusion, then realization. 

 

Both dove for each other at the same time, Nat screaming out a quick “Get down!” before the Bifrost touched down close to where they stood only moments before. The sound of the impact next to them was like a deafening roar of wind and a blinding collection of lights streaked in front of them. 

 

Natasha, who had her back to the impact site and arms around Kendra, where they had essentially tackled each other to the concrete, opened her eyes slowly. There was no rush of power overwhelming them, and the sound of the Asgardian energy had dimmed considerably. Kendra was still on her knees in before her, with her hands raised straight up.

 

Nat turned her head to watch the concrete crack and blister outside of the barrier Ken had cast just in time. In a way, they were each other’s saviors. Ken noticed their position and tried not to overthink the fact that Natasha was still wrapped around her torso and not letting go and  _ now wasn’t the time _ .

 

It seemed like only a few moments more passed before the lights and sounds stopped as quickly as they’d come. Ken let her shield and arms fall with a huff, and looked down to check on Natasha. The redhead was already kneeling to look over her and glancing over her form with a near frantic look in her eyes.

 

Her hands came up to her shoulders. “Are you okay?” Gray eyes met green and Natasha placed one hand on the side of her jaw and started turning her head around. “Did anything hit you?”

 

Ken smiled reassuringly and pulled her hands to hold between them. “I’m fine. We’re okay.” 

 

The ease of the moment was lost when the familiar sound of weapons activating reached their ears. The women looked to the Bifrost site and scrambled to their feet to greet their new visitors.

 

The last few plates of Tony’s portable Iron Man armor slid into place, so his voice was echoey when he addressed the two Asgardians. “Thor, what is he doing here?”

 

The god in question stepped forward, hands up placatingly. “We mean no harm. He is not a threat.”

 

And from behind him, the green-robed god of mischief stepped forward purposefully, burning eyes trained on one individual. “ _ You. _ ” Loki snarled with an accusing finger raised towards Kendra.

 

All eyes darted to the woman, who was staring wide-eyed at him. Natasha, who had taken up a position beside her with a gun she’d drawn from who knows where, addressed her without taking her eyes from her target.

 

“I think I’m starting to know that feeling, Ken.”

 


	6. Gorgeous Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Asgardians have joined the party, Wanda takes a trip through someone's memories, Natasha is just starting to realize the meaning of "in too deep".

The tension was thick on the helipad, with almost the entire Avengers team facing off against Loki. The god of mischief hadn’t made a move, however, and remained behind his brother, glaring at Kendra. 

 

Thor had planted himself between the opposing sides as a mediator. He glanced back at Loki. “Brother, you know this mortal?” He asked, confused.

 

“She’s a treacherous snake!” He snapped and jabbed a finger at her again. 

 

Ken, who had been just staring at the two until that point, seemed to come back into focus at the insult. “Hey, Loki! Been a while since I kicked you out of an aircraft, huh?” She mocked. 

 

Wanda subtly turned her body towards Kendra’s back, ready to attack either of them. If Kendra knew one of the biggest and most powerful maniacs that ever came to earth, it was enough reason to be suspicious, at least. And from what she was hearing, they used to work together, which was even worse. 

 

Tony sighed, the sound audible even through his helmet. “Thor, this is a mutant magician that saved us from a minor HYDRA resurgence and has been living with us for the last week.”

 

“Yeah, hi I’m Kendra, call me Ken,  _ quick question _ ,” she pointed to the seething god behind Thor, “Why the everliving hell is he back on my goddamn planet?” 

 

“I can explain,” Thor began, “before I was banished to Earth, I was...well, an asshole.”

 

Loki mumbled under his breath, “Still are.” 

 

“But after seeing your culture and fast-paced, fragile lives, I realized what a privilege it is to be a God.” He continued, ignoring Kendra’s overdramatically offended expression. “My father sent us both here, Loki without his magic or godly abilities, in the hopes of Midgard having the same effect on him as it did me.”

 

“So you’re babysitting.” Tony pointed out. 

 

“Magic or no, I can still destroy you,” Loki growled out but turned his gaze back to Kendra just as quickly with an insincere smile. “He can be my warm up before I obliterate you.” 

 

Natasha placed herself closer to Kendra’s side, ready to defend them, if necessary. Kendra however, didn’t seem to be versed in the art of de-escalation. “Oh, yeah?” She teased, “You and what lizard army, grease-head?”

 

“Kendra, please stop aggravating the literal god,” Steve ordered, then asked the Iron Man next to him. “What do you think, Tony?”

 

“Nobody goes inside for lemonade until I know he’s telling the truth,” Tony stated firmly. “Someone hit him.” 

 

“Tony, no.”

 

“Well, what else can we do? Besides hit him as hard as I can for wrecking my building and fracturing my tibia? If he really is out of juice, he won’t evaporate us.” 

 

“I’ll hit him.” 

 

“Kendra, no.”

 

“Nobody is hitting anybody!” Natasha snapped. “Ken, what the hell happened between you?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Kendra crossed her arms and looked Nat in the eye. “Fury told me to Stockholm his ass while he was supposedly trapped in SHIELD’s helicarrier. I guess it worked, to an extent, because I’m not dead yet. When he tried to escape, he broke my wrist, we fought, I kicked his ass out of the airship.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll tell you later, no worries.”

 

“You didn’t kick my ass!” Loki protested from where he was still behind his brother.

 

“Uh, really?” Ken teased with a smirk, “Because my  _ foot _ pushed your  _ butt _ out of the sky.”

 

Wanda spoke up, addressing Steve. “That’s enough! Steve, the fact that she even knows him is enough of a reason to not let her in. We don’t know her!”

 

Ken turned her back to the Asgardians and spread her arms wide, face a picture of exasperation. “Wanda, what did I ever do to you?!”

 

She continued in Russian, a conversation meant for only Natasha to understand. “For all we know, she could have planned the whole HYDRA raid!” The red along the teenager’s hands sparked dangerously with her ire. “Things just seem to work out a little too perfectly with Fury giving his approval and now  _ him _ showing up.”

 

Natasha made a split second decision and stepped between Kendra and Wanda. Behind her, she heard Ken make a confused humming sound, then put a hand on her shoulder. 

 

“Nat, you don’t have to--”

 

“Shut up,” She cast the sighed order over her shoulder, then turned back to Wanda and spoke in Russian. “Look, Wanda. I understand why you don’t trust her, or any new people, really. But I know you trust me.” The Scarlet Witch lowered her hands and scoffed, but Natasha continued on in English. “Kendra has proven herself to us over and over again. She’s alright.”

 

Wanda visibly clenched her jaw, but spat out a quick, “Fine.” She jabbed a finger at Kendra without looking away from Nat. “But when this whole thing blows up, we’ll all be sorry!” Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose as she stormed away, closely followed by a consoling Vision. 

 

The hand on Natasha’s shoulder squeezed gently, prompting her to turn and look her fellow agent in the eye. The soft smile caught her off guard, and she felt her stomach flip. 

 

“Nat, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me,” Ken said softly while her other hand went to rest on her collarbone. The redhead couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not, but she was startled enough by the revelation that she  _ wanted  _ to be looked at like that that she pulled away. 

 

Kendra just grinned like she knew what she was thinking and turned back to the Asgardian princes that were watching with various levels of confusion. “So, teenage adolescence aside, what do we do about them?” 

 

“Well,” Tony glanced at Steve, his question in the statement. “I say we trust Thor to watch his delinquent brother. But it’s just my house, money, and teammates at risk, here.”

 

Steve sighed for the thirtieth time that day. “Fine. We trust Thor to watch Loki, and keep an eye on him for any suspicious behavior.” 

 

“And everyone carries a taser until he proves himself, yes.” Tony agreed with himself and cut off any corrections from Steve. “Alright! Let’s get some lemonade and sit the fuck down.” Tony took off in his armor, sailing above them, then towards the larger building to their left. 

 

Thor nodded like he understood and paced towards Kendra and Natasha purposefully, with his brother following reluctantly. Without thinking, Nat put herself slightly in front of her kind-of friend and had a hand hovering over her wrist, ready to pull her aside if needed. Nevermind the fact that it was Kendra that had the impenetrable shields; Natasha could get them away if Loki made a move. 

 

Thor stopped in front of Natasha with a puzzled expression. “Why do we need to aid the lemons?” He asked quietly. Behind him, Loki slapped a palm to his forehead.

 

* * *

The inside of the Avengers facility was surprisingly homey for an elite fighting force base. There was a living/kitchen area with just enough seats to hold everyone, overlooking a view of the property and the treeline that surrounded it. The gray couch wrapped in an ‘L’ shape around a glass coffee table that looked far too fragile to be around this team. All in all, it was very comfortable.

 

Except for the thick tension suffocating everyone present in the room. 

 

Well, everyone except for Bruce, who was sipping a lemonade in his armchair while idly flipping through a book titled  _ Secrets to Staying De-Stressed in a Stressful Work Environment _ .  

 

Steve and Bucky sat across from him on the couch, watching Thor and Loki attentively as they wandered about the room. Tony was making a beverage behind the counter that involved some of the lemonade Bruce was drinking and a lot of vodka. Rhodey watched him work and cut him off when it started to look like too much. Ken and Nat had claimed seats on the couch as well, side by side facing Wanda’s intense stare and Vision’s confused glances from where the couple sat at the bar. 

 

Rhodey was the only one brave enough to initiate conversation. “So, uh…” He spoke to the silent room. “Pretty cool, that we’re all together again, huh? And we’re not even fighting each other, so...that’s good.” His attempt at a joke fizzled out at the end like a dying candle. 

 

“It wouldn’t be much of a fight,” Loki scoffed. 

 

Thor ignored his adopted brother’s quip and addressed the room. “Fighting?” He glanced between Tony and Steve, the two leaders of the team. “There was a squabble while I was gone?” 

 

“A little more than that, but yes.” Vision answered. 

 

“I stayed out of it, for the record,” Bruce spoke up without looking away from his book. “One of my smartest decisions to-date.” 

 

“And we all thank you for your sacrifice, Bruce.” Natasha teased while she leaned back on the couch, resting her arm across the back behind Ken. She addressed Steve and Tony, “You two okay to talk about it? Or should I give him the play-by-play later?” 

 

After a quick glance at Bucky, who nodded, Steve agreed. Tony held up a finger to make them wait while he downed his entire glass in a few gulps. But he agreed as well.

 

Thor sat down at the end of the couch to listen, leaving space between him and Natasha. She didn’t pay much mind to him, but did shift a little closer to Kendra, so that their thighs were brushing. There was no rhyme or reason behind it, she just knew that it felt nice to be closer to each other. And if the warmth radiating off Kendra’s body set butterflies free in Natasha’s stomach, no one needed to know. 

 

Kendra didn’t know what was happening with Nat. The rendition of the Avengers civil war story was starting, and she was closer than she’d ever sat before, with an arm around the back of the couch. No way in Hell was Ken complaining, but it was new and felt comforting. So she let the redhead do what she wanted, and even leaned a little closer when she thought she could be subtle.

 

The warm thoughts were interrupted by a sudden fog in her head. The conversation and voices tuned in and out until they slurred together into background noise. It felt like she was in an airplane climbing into the sky too quickly, and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Nat noticed Ken slouch and lean back onto the couch with a dazed expression, and lowered her arm to rest around her shoulders for support.

 

“Hey, you okay?” Natasha whispered in French so as not to interrupt the story. 

 

“Yeah, yes,” Kendra assured and lifted her head. In the process, she caught Wanda’s eyes, which were boring into hers and glowing slightly red. _ A presence announced itself in her mind, and started pulling forth memories from her past.  _ Ken pulled herself back to reality with a quick shake of her head, understanding what Wanda was trying to do. “I’m fine,” She turned back to Nat and tried to look reassuring, “I think I’m just tired from the flight.” 

 

She still looked concerned but nodded. “Okay, well,” She laid her hand across her shoulder and lightly pulled her to lean against her more comfortably. “You can rest a bit. I know you probably read all the information on this, anyway.”

 

Ken nodded and smiled a little at the thought that she was laying on the Black Widow’s shoulder and what a dream come true it was. All too quickly, though, she felt her consciousness sinking in on itself, seeking out the foreign entity rooting through her mind. 

 

_ Wanda was frustrated, that much was clear. She was angry at Steve for letting Kendra join so easily, frustrated that they all seemed to see something in her that she couldn’t, and irritated that no one would heed her warnings. So here she was, searching for proof herself.  _

 

_ Kendra’s mind was a mess. It was chaotic and ruled by emotion, which drifted about in different shades of feeling. Each memory had its own aura to it, with a blend of what she felt at the time it was made. Some were gray and faded with time as Kendra slowly forgot them, but many others were bright and fresh. If there was any evidence of Kendra hoping to betray them, it would be in one of those memories _

 

_ She was just reaching for a strong one dominated by sadness and fear when a voice made her jump. _

 

_ “What do you want to know?”  _

 

_ Wanda felt Kendra’s presence around her, waiting for a response. Somehow, she had felt her ability and was talking to her inside her own mind. Wanda would have to explore that later, as it had never happened before. _

 

_ “If you’re a threat to my friends or not.” She answered. _

 

_ “You want me to prove myself without putting your family at risk. Please, go ahead.”  _

 

_ Somehow, Kendra sounded much more eloquent inside her head than she did in reality.  _

 

_ Wanda focused on her powers, and let herself drift from her physical form further into the mind. She was able to form something akin to a body inside of Kendra’s consciousness, so that she could more easily see what was happening. Her form was a deep scarlet glow that traveled freely in this plane of existence. It was something she was able to master with Vision’s help after training her powers with the mind stone.  _

 

_ Kendra was unable to do the same, but guided her towards a memory that was only slightly aged, but sparked with determination and dripped with loneliness. _

 

_ Wanda reached out and saw the memory through Kendra’s eyes. _

 

Fury’s office was surprisingly small, Kendra thought. There were only two desks, one for him and one for Hill, and a window wall overlooking the murky city of Osaka. Kendra was standing in front of the desk, facing Hill while Fury sat at his desk, observing. 

 

“We’re concerned about cults or coups rising up in SHIELD.” Hill was explaining, “You will keep the rank of an agent, but move through the enlisted and low-ranking officers of the Division. Keep an eye out for traitors, and report your findings to no one but Director Fury.”

 

Kendra blinked and glanced between the two a few times. “Why...why me?” Her voice was a lot smaller than she’d like to admit.

 

“You have a way of getting under people’s skin.” Fury replied flippantly, “Just do what you do best; make friends and irritate people into talking.”

 

The tense mood dissipated a fraction. “Gee, thanks,” She replied dryly. “But seriously, why me? I graduated from STRIKE training like, an hour ago. I  _ just _ learned to speak English without an accent. You’ve only met me twice, and one of those times I was breaking into one of your office buildings.”

 

“And the other time I was arresting you, I remember.” Fury leaned forward and interlaced his fingers on the desk. “We may have not met again, but we were watching you. We saw the decisions you made, and how you fixed your mistakes. There is nothing connecting you to anything outside of SHIELD. So here you are.” He leaned back again. “I’ll only ask once, Hickman. Are you in?” 

 

Ken looked down and focused on a corner of the black desk. The thoughts running through her head were racing. Swirls of color and pricks of influence slamming against her consciousness. It was with great effort that she was able to push aside thoughts of her friends, how they would feel, and the emotional toll this mission would take on her own mentality. If she could help people, she had to take the assignment. It was never like her to back down from a challenge if it would do good at the end.  

 

“I’m in.” Her voice was hard. “Where do I start?”

 

_ Being pulled out of the memory and back into Kendra’s mentality was a bit like jumping into water; a big rush, and then muffled silence. Kendra was there, too, still not as physical as Wanda was formed, but her presence was clear enough. _

 

_ “I should have never accepted that assignment,” She said sadly. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but it would lead me to witness the deaths of the only people I really loved.” _

 

_ Wanda was drawn to another set of memories. The aura surrounding them was oozing regret and despair. She had a feeling she knew which ones they were. _

 

_ “I don’t think I want you to see those. They’re a little personal. But here,” A new memory presented itself. “This one should be proof enough.” _

 

Kendra was in a hospital room full of flowers and balloons wishing the patient well. A woman with light brown skin and long black hair pulled back in a bun and eyes so dark they may have been black lay on the bed. Kendra sat next to her with her head bowed. 

 

“I don’t know what to do, Rasa,” She said softly, “After Azzy and now Harold, I--”

 

“Stop,” Rasa commanded with a raspy voice, “You couldn’t have known he was HYDRA. You know you did what was best.”

 

Kendra sniffed and nodded. “You should have seen him, Raisin. His eyes were just…” She sighed, “I’ve known him my whole life and I never thought he could hold that much hatred. And I never imagined it would be directed towards me.” 

 

“That wasn’t the Harold we knew, Ken.” Rasa took her hand in both of hers. “He was HYDRA. A terrorist. If you hadn’t killed him he would have told them about you and we’d both be dead by now. Although,” She chuckled dryly, “It doesn’t really matter for me, anymore.” She gestured to the various machines measuring her vitals.

 

Her weak attempt at a joke didn’t brighten Kendra’s expression. “How long do you have?” Her voice was carefully measured, like it would break if she didn’t keep it level.

 

Rasa shrugged, “They say it could be a month. I’m betting I can outlast that.” She tried to smile, but it warbled and she had to look away. Instead, she started playing with Ken’s fingers, tracing the lines on her palms and bending her fingers one at a time. A drop of water fell onto the back of her hand, and she looked up to see silent tears streaming down Kendra’s face. “Oh, Kenny, no,” She tugged her into a gentle hug and cradled her head against her shoulder. She smelled like warm sugar and cocoa, familiar and comforting. 

 

A loud sob escaped Ken in a fast rush of air. “I don’t want to be alone, Rasa.” She hiccupped, “I-I can’t be the last of us left.” 

 

“You’ll never be alone, Kendra,” Rasa soothed and started rubbing up and down her back. “We’ll always be with you. You know that.” 

 

“But you won’t!” Kendra pushed away from her friend and stood to begin pacing at the foot of the bed. Rasa just leaned back to watch her. “The only reason we ever joined SHIELD is because I stole that stupid tablet, and we got wrapped up in HYDRA shit and I pushed for us to join SHIELD so damn hard, saying we could help people, thinking we could save the world… It was all just a bunch of  _ bullshit _ !” She stopped and forced herself to take a shaky breath in. “I watched Azzy die, Rasa. And I killed Harold myself. And now you--”

 

“My cancer has been terminal since before we even knew I had it, Kendra.” Rasa interrupted. “None of this is your fault, and you know it.”

 

“But--”

 

“No,” Rasa painstakingly sat up with far more effort than it should have taken. “We didn’t save the whole world, but we’ve been saving bits and pieces ever since we joined SHIELD. Harold didn’t see that, and he went traitor. Azzy wouldn’t have traded that for anything. We’re exactly where we’re meant to be, Ken.” She reached out to her, and Ken took her hand without hesitation. “And now you have to save it one more time.”

 

Ken wiped away her tears roughly. “What do you mean?”

 

“HYDRA is in SHIELD. And Project Insight is set to launch in less than a week.” She explained, “If they were to ever make a move, this would be it. I’ve invented a way to stop it, but it needs manual installation.” She reached behind her and pulled a slim silver case from under her pillow. At Ken’s questioning look, she smiled. “I’ve had a whole lot of nothing to do in this hospital bed, lately. Here.” 

 

She handed Kendra the case and lay back again with a tired groan. Ken opened the latches and pulled it open to reveal three large computer chips. 

 

“Put them into the mainframe of each ship, and they’ll target each other instead of all those people,” Rasa explained. Ken nodded solemnly but didn’t lift her eyes from the technology. “And Kenny?”

 

She looked up to see Rasa’s eyes shining with unshed tears. “There’s no point in trying to save me when it all goes down. You know that.” 

 

Kendra’s jaw clenched, and defeat filled her like a flood. “I know.”

 

_ Wanda returned to Kendra’s mind much softer than she had the first time.  _

 

_ “I’m not a traitor, Wanda,” Kendra spoke evenly, “We’ve all lived too much life for our souls to handle. But we keep going on, helping people simply because it’s the right thing to do.” _

 

_ “What about Loki?” The teenager demanded, “How can you know him?” _

 

_ Something that sounded vaguely like a chuckle echoed around her. “That memory is a little funnier than the ones we just watched. Here.” _

 

Kendra stood on the other side of a large glass wall looking in on a cell. Darkened steel towered around her, and the slight hum of the helicarrier engines vibrated under her boots. She was dressed in a typical SHIELD uniform with her hair newly cut short. The breeze on the back of her neck was still new to her. Her emotions felt lighter somehow. Wanda was able to assume that this was before the conversation with Rasa she’d just witnessed. 

 

She knocked on the glass to awaken the prisoner, her other hand held a bag of some kind. “Knock knock, it’s time to talk.” 

 

Loki sat up from where he had been lying on the white bench in his glass-bowl cell slowly. “Who are you?”

 

Ken grinned in a childish manner. “I’m no one. Just a grunt. But I’m working on a psychology degree,” A lie, “and I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by.” She held up the colorful snack bag. “Want some Cheez-Itz?” 

 

Loki blinked slowly, like he was trying to process what was happening. “What did you say?”

 

“Cheez-Itz.” She opened the bag. “Just trying to be polite, you don’t have to eat any. So, quick personal question, there’s this Earth legend about you that says you gave birth to a horse. Fact or fiction?”

 

He looked taken aback at this and mildly horrified. “Of course not! What the hell do you take me for?!”

 

“A horse-fucker,” She crunched down on one of her snacks. “Although I guess not anymore, if you really didn’t. And technically the horse fucked you, in this legend. But that’s neither here nor there.” 

 

He made an exclamation of disgust, the most emotional variety he’d expressed since getting on the ship. “What kind of legend would--” He shook his head and stood up, “Nevermind. What is your name?” 

 

“Agent.” She answered easily, “But you can call me Agent. So why do you want to take over Earth, Loki?” She sunk down to the metal grate floor to sit with her legs crossed. 

 

He crossed the cage to stand in front of the glass with his arms folded across his chest. “I will not explain myself to a sniveling mortal such as you. I am a God, and will be treated as such.”

 

Kendra kept eye contact for the few seconds it took her to chew and swallow her crackers. Then she gestured his face. “You frown too much. It makes you look older than you really are.” She raised her eyebrows like she realized something. “Or is that  _ why _ you do it? So you seem scarier?” 

 

“I am feared by all the nine realms,” He scoffed, “I don’t need to do anything to earn that.” 

 

“I’m not scared of you.” She ate another Cheez-It. “I think the scariest thing about you is your wardrobe.” 

 

She didn’t miss the way he glanced down at his attire before replying. “And what’s wrong with my clothes?”

 

“Well,” Ken leaned back on her hands and looked him up and down. “You look like a dominatrix if I’m being honest.” 

 

He shook his head and began to walk back toward his bench. “You’re wasting my time. This conversation is over.” 

 

Ken shrugged and went back to her snack. “Okay, if you say so.”

 

Loki lay back down on his bench and folded his hands over his stomach. He closed his eyes and did his best to block out the presence of the woman still sitting outside his cell.

 

_ Crunch! _

 

Loki’s brow twitched. He would ignore her if it was the last thing he did. The only problem was that this Agent really wanted to test those limits.

 

**_Crunch!_ **

 

He lay absolutely still, giving no sign that he had even heard the sound of her chomping down on those whatever-they-weres. She would leave soon, he knew it. Sure enough, he heard her shift on the floor, then footsteps moving away. He let out a sigh of relief and let his muscles relax. Mortals were so careless with their fragile lives. 

 

**_CRUNCH!_ **

 

He nearly flew off the edge of the bed when the sound of chewing echoed through the speakers in his cell at their highest volume. He spun to glare at the control panel, where Agent was holding the microphone to her mouth. She swallowed and took a slow breath in.

 

“Okay, goodnight.” 

 

And with that, she set the device down and turned off the speakers. Loki glared at her the whole way she walked back to the doors without looking back at the seething God. 

 

He made a vow to kill her first.

 

_ The time changed in the memory like it was being fast forward through Kendra’s life until it returned to a normal time when the Helicarrier was under attack.  _

 

Kendra was sprinting down the halls, heading towards Loki’s prison cell. Some parts of the hallways were blown out from the engine explosion, but she bridged the gaps with her shields and didn’t slow her pace. The com device in her ear came to life to put Fury through. “ _ Hickman! Get to the chamber! Do  _ not _ let Loki escape!” _

 

“No worries,” She punched in the code to access the room. “I’m already there.” 

 

The doors slid open just as the God of Mischief hit the release button on his own cell. Kendra barely caught a glimpse of Thor’s familiar red cape and shocked expression before he was sent hurtling to the ground. The hatch beneath them closed quickly, and Kendra was left facing Loki dead on. 

 

The god greeted her with a vicious grin and spread his arms wide. “Agent! Come to witness the end of your--” 

 

A blast of bright orange energy sent him hurtling through the opposite wall and sprawling in a heap on the other side. 

 

Kendra blinked at the sudden onslaught and followed the line of fire to the source. An agent lay against the wall with a magnificent gun spread over his lap. He was injured, badly, but still managed to smile at Kendra. “Agent Coulson, nice to meet you.”

 

“Uhh,” Ken said eloquently. “Hi. Agent Hickman. Do you want me to…?” She motioned to the wound on his chest and took a step towards him. The sound of rubble shifting behind the wall drew both their attention, and Kendra hesitated, torn between her instinct to help and direct orders to stop the god of mischief from escaping. 

 

Luckily for her, Coulson decided for her. “Here,” He pushed the gun towards her. “Stop him.”

 

She crouched in front of him and shoved the gun off his lap. “I don’t need it. Focus on staying alive.” She gave one of his blood-soaked hands a squeeze before rising and sprinting through the settling dust towards Loki. On the way, she tapped the side of her com. “Fury, we need medical in the chamber. Thor was in the cage when it fell. Intervening now.” 

 

Loki had barely stood up before Kendra tackled him to the ground with a yell. They fought on the grated metal floors for a few seconds before the god caught her wrist and bent back too far. Kendra felt the snap before pain bloomed across the expanse of her arm and she cried out. 

 

While she was distracted, Loki shoved her off with so much force that she slammed into the bottom of the half-collapsed wall. She didn’t get a chance to recover before Loki was dragging her to a standing position by the throat. 

 

He chuckled darkly and kept her struggling form at arm's length. “What a curious creature you are, Agent.” He waved his free hand through the air and his scepter appeared in a gleam of light. “I think I’ll keep you.” 

 

He pressed the tip towards her chest, and Kendra raised a shield in front of herself in self-defense. The opposing powers crackled and sparked between the two in an instant flash of pure energy. It felt like something was trying to invade her mind, but couldn’t get a hold on her.  _ Something  _ was protecting her from his influence, and Loki seemed to realize it as well, only far too late. They had a moment of panicked eye-contact before they blew apart like similar magnets. 

 

Loki was blasted back so hard he made a new hole in the other wall that led into the open sky. He managed to not get sucked out by holding onto a strip of rafters protruding from the wall, and dragged himself back into the ship. 

 

Ken only got slammed back into the wall she was already pinned against, but it still hurt like hell. “Oh,  _ fuck _ !” Kendra yelled in frustration, already picking herself up despite the new cuts and bruises littering her body. 

 

Loki scrambled to his feet to face off against her, scepter pointed in her direction. “What are you?” He panted.

 

Kendra sniffed and put up her good arm to fight. “At the moment? Extremely pissed you didn’t fall.”

 

Loki’s expression hardened and he drew back his staff as the gem at the tip began to glow. Kendra cast a shield between her and Loki as she began her advance. Energy fired at her in projectile blasts, easily deflected by her barriers. His actions took on a desperate energy as she drew nearer and nearer. 

 

When she was within striking distance, he swung the staff in an arc, and she dropped her shield. With the back of her uninjured hand, she pushed the end of the artifact aside with the combined force of her mutant abilities. The power behind the movement made Loki stumble, off balance, and expose his back to her. It was really without thinking that Kendra lifted her foot like she was about to kick in a door and, quite literally, kicked his ass off the helicarrier and out the broken wall.

 

When she was sure that the only thing left of Loki was his lingering scream quickly fading into the distance, she let herself take a breath. But, true to her luck, she was distracted by the sound of a cargo jet screeching past, then looping around towards the falling god. She muttered every profanity in every language she knew while she watched the jet do a series of complicated twists to get under Loki and catch him in the bay. 

 

“ _ Hickman, is Loki secure _ ?” Fury asked through her earpiece. 

 

She winced and pressed her lips together, already dreading the lecture that was sure to come. It was with great willpower that she raised her finger to her ear to respond. “No, sir, he got away in a jet.” 

 

“ _ He **WHAT** _ \--”

 

_ Wanda was guided back to Kendra’s memories rather hastily.  _

 

_ “And then there are a few choice words used that I don’t think you’re old enough to hear, and I get in big trouble. But, yes. That’s how I met the God of Mischief.” _

 

_ “With blatant disrespect and physical violence?” Wanda asked with a hint of amusement. _

 

_ “Precisely. Is there anything else?”  _

 

_ “I can find them.” She had to see a few memories herself, without suspecting that they had been altered or selected just for her viewing.  _

 

_ “Help yourself. Just remember that we all have parts of our past we’d like to forget.” _

 

_ Kendra faded out until her presence dulled to nothing. Wanda knew she was probably asleep or trying to return to consciousness. She also knew it would be difficult with her still in Kendra’s mind, but she wouldn’t be long.  _

 

_ It was hard to focus entirely on Kendra’s mind. She was a very emotionally driven person, and that gave her consciousness a chaotic appearance. Trying to see what she was feeling was like watching the colors of the northern lights shift; impossible to understand, yet pretty. Wanda struggled to find a pattern that would lead her where she wanted to go, but when she did she was pulled into another memory.  _

 

Things were blurred, and dull, which told Wanda that this memory wasn’t revisited often. Kendra must have deemed the information unimportant for the long run, but kept it out of necessity. 

 

Fury was speaking to her through video chat. Kendra was dressed in full combat gear on a plane with only the pilot in the front, and a wide cockpit filled with crates of supplies. She wasn’t even sitting in a seat; just strapped to the wall like some of the other pieces of cargo. 

 

“ _ This mission is your most important one yet, Hickman. _ ” Fury explained through the video. “ _ These sick fucks have been taking children from their homes and teaching them to fight and die for a cause they don’t even understand. I’ve already sent a team in to cause a distraction. Your job is to get the kids out unharmed _ .”

 

“Understood,” Ken replied formerly. “Any other information I should know before I drop?”

 

“ _ The kids might attack you. _ ” Fury explained, “ _ Just stun them and carry them if you have to. There shouldn’t be more than four. _ ” 

 

“Sounds fun,” Ken mumbled, “How do I put that into a report without sounding like I knocked out a bunch of kids?”

 

“ _ Easy, _ ” Fury smirked knowingly on screen, “ _ Don’t write a report. All missions I personally assign you will be off the books. I’ll have my own record of your progress that won’t be accessible by the SHIELD mainframe. We don’t know how deep this conspiracy goes, and I’m always safe so I’m never sorry.” _

 

Kendra hummed approvingly, “Sounds handy. So what you’re saying is that you’re going to do my paperwork.” She grinned like she’d won the lottery.

 

Fury rolled his eyes, already reaching for the button to end the call. “ _ Don’t think this means I care about you _ .” The screen blinked out. 

 

She chuckled and put the device back in its carrier. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Nicholas.”

 

_ Wanda jumped directly into another memory, this one freshly made. _

 

Kendra was sitting in a shabby apartment, with black cases and various pieces of technology strewn about. The familiar SHIELD logo stood out on almost everything. She was typing on a smaller computer searching through lists of accounts to check her earnings.

 

“Wait…” She narrowed her eyes at the screen, peering at a set of numbers that seemed a few zeroes too high. Her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, no way.”

 

She began typing rapidly. Her fans had never been particularly generous, not that she really needed the money, it was just a part of her cover. So finding a ten thousand dollar donation submit by an anonymous viewer was so rare she hadn’t even considered the possibility. Luckily, her computers were equipped with a few tracking softwares to make finding certain people or things easier. It was meant to be used on deep-web infiltration missions, but whatever. 

 

She managed to track down the address of the doner and was surprised to learn that they were only a few cities away. At 200 Park Avenue, New York City, someone had way too much money on their hands. She filtered the address through her system to find the owner of the property: one Anthony Stark Jr. 

 

She blinked at the name, then leaned back with a sigh. “Shit…” She cursed softly and switched to another computer, this one thicker and much heavier looking. The SHIELD logo flashed on the screen before dozens of files opened on screen, covering the last few months of HYDRA activity. One titled  _ Tony Stark _ was full of records and bank history. 

 

“Okay, here’s what we know,” Kendra started talking to herself while she got up and shoved technology into a duffel bag. “I have a show in three days. HYDRA wants their Winter Soldier back. Everyone knows that the Avengers have reunited and Sergeant Barnes is presumed to be staying next to Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, at all times. If Rogers and Stark go to my show, which Stark probably will, based on that donation, Barnes will be with them. HYDRA has been tracking Stark Industries’ finances for the past two weeks. If they think Barnes will be at my show, they’ll make a move.” She inhaled heavily after her rant. “So I have to do something about it.”

 

Ken slung the bag over her shoulder and pulled her phone out of her sweatpants pocket. She held down the number 1 button, and the call went straight to voicemail. “Sir, it’s me. HYDRA is possibly planning on making a move on Barnes at my next show. Just thought I’d tell you for old time’s sake. And let you know that I could really use the help in cleaning up after this is over. And if you could get in contact with the Avengers and maybe warn them? That’d be awesome too.” Silence. “You probably changed your number. Bye.” She hit the ‘End Call’ button and huffed out a sigh. 

 

It was time to get to work. 

 

_ Having seen everything she needed to know, Wanda left Kendra’s swirling mind and returned them both to reality. _

 

* * *

 

“--and I dunno, with all the threats being made against us I decided maybe it was time to finally call him back.” Tony was saying, “So I bought out the Avengers title and basically made us an independent force. We help where we can, and the government can’t tell us to roll over anymore.” 

 

“I never called you,” Steve shook his head fondly, “But I really missed everyone. I’m glad we’re doing this again without any bad blood between us.” 

 

Natasha was plucking at a loose string on the strap of Kendra’s tank top while she dozed. The agent wasn’t totally asleep, but she was definitely out of it. Occasionally, she would mumble whispers of words that had no meaning to Nat. The only one she was able to catch was “Cheez-It”, but she decided not to question it. 

 

Across the room, Wanda shook her head of drowsiness and straightened her back. Natasha only noticed the movement because she hadn’t moved from that spot for a while. Out of her peripherals, she could see her staring at Kendra for a moment, before hopping off the stool and crossing into the kitchen to start making herself a glass of water. 

 

Natasha was still wary of her behavior lately. She could understand not wanting to trust new people, but being outwardly rude to someone they’d all repeatedly told her was okay was so unlike her. Maybe she was just feeling left out of the loop with everything that had been happening lately. 

 

Speak of the devil, Wanda was making her way over to the couch with her glass of water. Conversation continued as usual, but Nat kept her eyes on Wanda, without any subtlety. The teenager stopped next to the coffee table and set the water on a coaster with a glance at Kendra. Just as quickly, she was turning to walk back to her seat. 

 

Kendra stirred against Natasha and slowly sat up. “What happened?” She slurred and rubbed her arm over her eyes. Her bedhead made Nat smile and she moved to attempt to fix it without thinking. 

 

“Just talking,” She smoothed the hair sticking up on the side of her head down to a more manageable position. “Nothing you haven’t heard before. Want some water?” She gestured to the glass on the table. 

 

Ken nodded and leaned over to grab it. She took a few sips and sat back with the cold cup still in her hands. “Thanks,” She nodded to Natasha.

 

“Wanda got that for you,” Nat settled back against the couch. She hesitated a moment before pushing herself to put her arm over the back of the couch behind Kendra again. She had just slept on her, surely they were on that level, right? “I guess she’s finally warming up to you.” 

 

Ken blinked at the redhead before turning her gaze to Wanda, who was talking with Vision. As if she could sense Kendra’s eyes on her, Wanda turned to meet her eyes, but looked away almost bashfully. Weird.

 

Even stranger, Kendra lifted the water in a toast with a friendly smile. And Wanda returned the expression. 

 

Nat glanced between them before settling on Kendra. “So I guess you’re okay now?”

 

Ken shrugged, “I guess.” She took another sip of water, like that was the end of the conversation. Natasha decided that it wasn’t that important to push, so long as they weren’t arguing or disrupting the team dynamic. 

 

She noticed Loki staring at Kendra again, the woman blissfully unaware as she tuned in to a conversation with Bucky and Rhodey. She stared right back with a cold gaze of her own while slowly lowering her arm to rest across Ken’s shoulders. Kendra didn’t even turn to acknowledge the gesture, just leaned into the touch casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 

Loki suddenly looked uncomfortable under Natasha’s glare. He shifted awkwardly before pacing towards the window to avoid her stare. Mission accomplished. 

 

Natasha was just trying to establish a protective perimeter around Ken in case Loki got any funny ideas, but the fact that they were so willing to gravitate towards each other made Natasha feel like she was doing this whole ‘friendship’ thing correctly. She preened on the inside, then immediately smothered those feelings before she started thinking of this relationship as a mission. That was exactly what Laura had warned about, and she couldn’t let her past training and taught emotions mess it up. 

 

A slight nudge on her thigh drew her attention to Bruce, who had set down his book to talk to her. It must have been important, but the teasing glint in his eyes said otherwise. 

 

“Careful, Nat,” He spoke quietly enough so no one else could hear. “If you keep that up people will think you’re taken already.” He nodded to her arm around Ken’s shoulders and grinned. 

 

She watched him turn to go back into the kitchen, brows drawn in confusion. She glanced at Ken’s profile, still focused on the conversation taking place. She wasn’t trying to date Kendra, though. She was just trying to be friends with her. 

 

Slowly, angry god forgotten, she withdrew her arm to rest both on her knees and stare at the floor. 

 

She didn't want to move too quickly, even if they really were platonic at the moment. Everything with Ken was new. They met in the middle of a fight, but she knew neither of them saw the other as soldiers. Even her teammates thought of each other as pawns, to an extent. They would recognize the bigger picture and try to preserve peace at the cost of any one of their lives. 

 

But she couldn’t see Kendra ever making that call. She didn’t have the aura that said she would ever waste a life. Her kill count said another thing, but...Natasha couldn’t be sure. That terrified her all over again. 

 

She could always make calls on people within ten minutes of knowing them. She hadn’t even tried to do that with Kendra, but thinking on it now, there was no sure way to know. She was a new type of person to Nat, where emotions clashed with logic in a swirl of gorgeous chaos that made no sense.

 

It was fucking frustrating. 

 

A hand on her shoulder brought Nat back to the conversation. Ken had slouched to look her in the eye, smiling softly. “Do you want me to braid your hair now? We have some free time before Steve’s going to make us do a team exercise or whatever.”

 

Nat couldn’t stop the smile that melted onto her face. “Yeah, let’s do it.” 

 

They excused themselves and slipped into the back halls together. Natasha led her towards the living quarters and ushered her into the TV den Tony insisted on having. He had made it his mission to show Steve and Bucky every single Disney movie in existence and was making good on that goal. 

 

Now, Kendra plopped down on the biggest couch and folded her legs in to sit criss-cross. It was just them and the big open room now. 

 

“C’mon,” Ken pat the couch next to her. “Take your shoes off and get comfy. I call choosing the music.” 

 

Nat wasn’t going to argue with her, but Ken still dove for the remote like she was about to make a grab at it. Instead, she rolled her eyes playfully and did as she was told. Ken searched for some background music, mumbling about getting as relaxed as possible.

 

When she was satisfied with her selection, she set down the remote and got to work on Nat’s hair. 

 

The second her fingertips brushed along the back of Nat’s head, she was gone. It was too easy to relax into the agent’s hold. Too easy to let her guard down. Too easy to trust her. 

 

But, Natasha thought, that was okay.


	7. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kendra's past is revealed, and not even she was ready for the information.

Bruce’s lab was a place of calm, for him. He was the heart and soul of his research into human DNA and the effects of different radiation. Occasionally, when the calm started to suffocate him a little, he’d visit Tony’s lab just above his.

 

But today, he was pleased and at ease as he looked through some of Kendra’s DNA samples. It was a routine check for everyone who came through the facility to prove their identity, and Kendra was no exception. The only reason the check was happening so late into her joining them was because Bruce’s supplies weren’t at the tower.

 

He carefully tuned the instruments around him to compensate for Kendra’s mutant genes, and expanded his view of a single double helix collected from her inner cheek. After running a quick identity verification through SHIELD’s databases, he went to turn his attention to another sample when an alert chirped at him from his desk. He brought the message onto the hologram projected to read it.

 

‘ _ Irregular pattern detected. _ ’ 

 

Bruce’s brow creased in confusion. He’d never seen that particular notification before. 

 

Following the source brought him in for an even closer evaluation of her DNA, to a type of radiation pulsing off of the sample. He blinked and hit the intercom button on his desk to call Tony’s lab.

 

“Hey, Tony? Can I get you down here for a second?” 

 

“ _ Yes, dear. _ ” 

 

Used to his quips, Bruce started delving deeper into his research so he could at least have an idea of what to tell Tony. He started by figuring out exactly what kind of energy was evidently laced into the strands before him. 

 

The computer was just finishing up the scans when Tony walked in, covered in fire extinguisher foam and looking extremely pleased. “You’ll never guess what I just did.”

 

Bruce didn’t look away from the hologram as it finished loading, but hummed in question. 

 

“I fixed the coffee machine!” Tony spread his arms wide in presentation, waiting for a reaction. 

 

The scientist blinked slowly, processing the words, then turned to Tony in question. “You did?” 

 

“Yeah!” He nodded excitedly and leaned up against the desk, hand on his hip and smile never wavering. “You know, those DIY channels really know what they’re talking about.” 

 

Bruce at least offered him a pleasant grin. “Did you make it to where it will brew tea?” 

 

Tony scoffed, “Please. It’ll make you the best leaf juice you’ve ever tasted, Brucey.” He finally saw the loading bar on the holoscreen. “So what are we doing?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Bruce turned back to the screen as it began displaying results. “It’s Ken’s DNA sample. I don’t know if it’s her mutant ability or what, but there’s some kind of energy laced into it.” 

 

Tony nodded, now completely focused on the readings. “Yeah, could be… But weren’t you telling me that mutant DNA just has an extra gene in the 23rd chromosome, right?” 

 

Bruce smiled absentmindedly, “Aww, you were listening.”

 

“Sometimes you say cool stuff, what can I say?” Tony nudged him with his elbow. “But was I right?”

 

“Kinda,” Bruce opened up her evaluation. “Here we can see that she does have that extra chromosome, but there shouldn’t be any reason for this energy. It’s like a kind of radiation; too light to have any ill effects on anyone around her, but I can’t figure out what kind it is.” 

 

“It’s also shaped weird,” Tony pointed out, “Look at the rungs, like a ladder, mind you, I don’t care what they're really called. They’re kind of zig-zagged.” 

 

Upon closer inspection, Bruce was able to confirm what shouldn’t be possible. Kendra’s DNA was altered, to the point where she was most definitely not a natural-born human. 

 

“I’ve seen this before…” He mumbled and pulled up an old SHIELD file. “SHIELD, or, I guess HYDRA, were checking in the realm of possibility for artificially grown and created humans with specialized DNA. And… hold on a second, I think there’s a reason for that shape…” 

 

He ran a mock test of natural, non-mutant human DNA interacting with the same energy laced with Kendra’s. The simulation failed with the straight double helix structure, the holographic strand dissolving from the screen. 

 

“So the rungs--”

 

“Nitrogenous bases.”

 

“--being like that makes it possible for her to hold this energy. Huh.” Tony rubbed his chin, wiping off a piece of foam while he was at it. “Do we even know what this radiation is? For all we know it could be UV light.” 

 

Bruce shook his head, distracted. “No, not yet. We don’t even know where it comes from.” 

 

He narrowed his eyes at the sample. If this was anything to do with gamma radiation, it could help him figure out how to separate the radiation from his own DNA without having the Hulk react too strongly. But if it was, it would be like a coating over the double helix structure, not a stain over her form. 

 

“Here, just track the energy.” Tony nudged Bruce aside to take over the desk. “If it exists anywhere else, we can at least find its origins.” 

 

The device barely took a second to load before it displayed results. 

 

The geniuses stared at the world map and small cluster of dots indicating the location of the sources of energy. 

 

Tony reached for the intercom under the desk and asked pleasantly, “Would everyone please report to the conference room? Now?” 

 

He released the button and Bruce turned to look at him incredulously. “Did you have to call the whole building? It’s Kendra’s DNA, so shouldn’t we give her a little privacy with this?”

 

Tony shrugged, “Well if she knew what it was, don’t you think she’d tell us? And if she did know, and didn’t, I would feel a lot safer in a room filled with Earth’s mightiest heroes.” 

 

Doctor Banner blinked slowly. “You’re a piece of work, Tony, you know that?”

 

The playboy grinned. “The finest piece this world has to offer. Both of ass and of mind.”

 

Bruce elected to not even dignify that with a response, and turned from the room to join the others.

 

“Oh come on!” He could hear Tony chasing after him. “That was clever!”

 

* * *

Loki wasn’t as big of a problem as the Avengers had anticipated him to be. He mostly kept to himself and read some Earth fiction books away from the group. The real danger to their patience and furniture, they came to realize, was Thor. 

 

In the two days that he had been in the facility, he had tripped over and broken two dining room chairs, broken the glass coffee table with his hammer just by setting it down too quickly, and misunderstood that dry-erase markers did not come off of any surface when dry. He was currently grounded to the corner with a set of cards, trying to mimic a shuffling trick Natasha had shown him. 

 

Kendra and Bucky were in a debate over whether Doritos or Cheetos were better. 

 

It was really heating up. 

 

“Don’t make me say it,” Kendra was threatening with a finger pointed Bucky’s way. “Do  _ not _ make me say it, Bucky.” 

 

“Oh, say what?” Bucky mocked with a tilt of his head, “Finally admit that you lose, Kendra?”

 

Ken withdrew her finger and looked Bucky dead in the eye, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. “I’m gonna say it.” 

 

“Do it,” Natasha encouraged from where she sat in one of the armchairs facing them. Her phone had been long abandoned in favor of watching the back and forth between them. 

 

And who was she to refuse the Black Widow? Ken leaned forward on the couch, eyes narrowed but alight with humor, and stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You only say you like Doritos so much because Steve is shaped like one.” 

 

Nat snorted into her hand at Bucky’s incredulous expression. The whole scenario was only made better by Ken’s boisterous laugh as she reveled in her ability to make the ex-soldier speechless. 

 

“Oh, oh wait,” She gasped, “What if we all just call him Captain Dorito from here on out? Just to mess with him?” 

 

Natasha raised her hand, revealing her smile to the room. “Seconded. Barnes?” 

 

Bucky looked hesitant, but seemed to come to a conclusion in his head. “He ate my bundt cake a week ago. Let’s do it.” 

 

Ken whooped in glee and leaned back on the couch. She and Nat made brief eye-contact, both women smiling at the casualness of the conversation. Kendra felt warmth bloom in her chest when Natasha’s gaze visibly softened. She didn’t know what was going through the redhead’s mind, but she preened a little whenever she could make her smile so genuinely. 

 

The five residents in the room glanced up at the sound of the intercom chiming. “ _ All Avengers to the conference room, please. Mr. Stark and Doctor Banner wish to make an announcement.” _

 

Nat rolled her eyes, but stood all the same. “They probably made another science baby.”

 

Equally as exasperated, Bucky sighed. “My money’s on another robot assistant that will try to kill us all.” He stood and stretched in a graceful arch, back popping into place. 

 

Ken glanced between the super spies with a flicker of uncertainty behind her gray eyes. “Should I come with, or am I too new to the team? If I’m even on the team, we never really...talked about it.” She suddenly found herself under the steely gazes of two super assassins and had to fight with every ounce of willpower in her to resist glancing away. 

 

“Uh, yeah?” Bucky replied, clearly confused. “You live here too, don’t you?”

 

“Well, yeah, but--”

 

“Ken,” Nat planted a hand on her head, ruffling her hair and effectively silencing her. “You’re an Avenger. Come to the meeting and see what weird shit the science bros have cooked up this time.” 

 

Natasha didn’t miss the flash of relief that crossed her features before she stood up and sighed dramatically. “Well, if I  _ have _ to…”

 

Nat shook her head with a smile and led the way to the conference room. 

 

* * *

“Now,” Tony leaned over the conference table, expression serious, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I gathered you all here today.”

 

“Yes, Tony, that’s why we’re all sitting here waiting for you to tell us why you’ve gathered us all here, today,” Steve teased lightly. “So what’s going on?”

 

“I’m glad you asked! But first,” He pointed to Loki, who was sitting away from the large oval table in a chair they had dragged in from another room with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “Why is he here? What is his purpose?”

 

Wanda waved her hand dismissively, “If we’re all here no one can watch him. He’ll be quiet, don’t worry.” She shot a pointed look at the god, who returned it with clear rage. Wanda must have threatened him beforehand. 

 

“Alrighty then,” Tony tapped the tabletop, and a light blue hologram of a fractured strand of DNA sprung to life in front of them. “Anything you want to tell us, Ken?” 

 

Immediately all eyes were on the ex-agent, who echoed their looks of confusion. She leaned back, keeping her hands folded on the table. “Umm, no? Why?”

 

“This is a strand of your DNA,” Bruce explained, “it’s laced with a type of energy that acts like radiation, but isn’t harmful to others.”

 

“She’s a mutant, wouldn’t her DNA be weird either way?” Sam asked next to Ken.

 

“Not like this,” Wanda answered, “Mutant DNA is only different with the mutant genome. This looks like a sloppy art and craft project.” 

 

“I may have only known about this for a few seconds,” Ken input without any real irritation, “but that’s my freaky DNA you’re talking about, here.” 

 

“Why is it like that?” Leave it to Steve to get them all back on track.

 

Bruce looked grateful for the nudge back on the right track and continued. “It’s structured like that to support the energy I was talking about. We thought the radiation was unknown, but when we tracked down similar readings, we found this.” 

 

A hologram of the planet replaced the DNA strand. Three points glowed in one location in varying colors; one orange, and two yellow. Two other points, far away from the cluster, rested in opposite directions; another orange and a green spot glowed. 

 

“These are pinpoints of energy that match up with the same frequency infinity stones give off,” Tony explained in an uncharacteristically serious voice. “We don’t know which ones are which, but we’ve labeled the slight differences with colors. The yellow is the mind stone, which activated Wanda’s mutant abilities and stuck with her DNA so far. The other yellow dot is Vision, who actually  _ has _ the stone.” 

 

“So you’re saying that other dot, the orange one,” Nat zoomed in on the cluster of points, just over their location, “is Kendra.” 

 

Ken didn’t meet any of the eyes that darted her way, too focused on the knots in the wood on the table. Nat noticed and nudged her leg, but she just drew away and refused to look up, even as Tony continued.

 

“But here’s the thing,” he expanded the globe again. “We already know about the green stone, and that it’s in safe hands. We know that Wanda and Vision are the yellow ones, and Ken is the orange, so that leaves this.” He focused on the single location illuminated orange in the middle of the Ural Mountains in Russia. “Another energy point that matches the signature that Houdini’s giving off.” 

 

Loki, who had remained obediently silent the entire time, spoke up from his corner. “Are all human genetics so compatible?” 

 

Thor shot a pointed look at his brother, but that didn’t stop him from continuing. “I find it hard to believe that the infinity stones are eager to be within a human vessel. It has to accept the host and the host, in turn, has to be strong enough to contain the energy. The Aether accepted Jane Foster because it wanted an escape, and my scepter was transferred into a consciousness as a way to live, while the energy from it awakened what you call “mutant abilities” in the girl. So why, pray tell,” He folded his fingers under his chin and stared at Kendra, “did you not disintegrate on the spot?”  

 

Ken finally looked up, face a clear picture of confusion and a hint of fear. “Are you saying that I came in contact with this thing?”

 

“Did you?”

 

“I-” Ken looked back down at her hands and watched her fingers tighten around each other. “I don’t know. I can’t remember anything like that.” She knew her voice sounded small, but was unwilling to pretend that this was in any way okay.

 

Bruce mimicked her posture across the table. “Kendra,” He spoke gently, and waited patiently until she looked up. “You have to tell us where you came from. Who was your family, where were you raised?”

 

A dry chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head. “I don’t know. I was in the Lithuanian foster care system until I was twelve, and then I ran away. I never knew my parents, but I have a feeling whatever makes DNA like that isn’t exactly human.” Ken leaned all the way back in her chair and soundlessly tapped her fingers against the surface.

 

Next to her, Natasha was tempted to reach out and calm her, somehow. But she didn’t think now was an appropriate time, or if Kendra would even appreciate it. She resigned herself to holding her own hands tightly in her lap and trying to find a solution. The sooner this was solved, the sooner Ken would be back to cracking jokes and smiling. 

 

“That’s what I thought, and hoped we were wrong about,” Tony said and switched the hologram to old SHIELD files. “HYDRA was cooking up something that looks an awful lot like you. Do you want to read it on your own time, or…?” He left the offer to present their findings to the table open, in case she wanted to get it all over with at once.

 

Sure enough, she nodded. “Tell me.” 

 

Bruce and Tony exchanged a glance before the Doctor took the floor. “From what we could tell, HYDRA, while inside of SHIELD, discovered a type of energy in another dimension. They used the energy from their Tesseract weapons to mimic its signature and draw it into this reality. While the actual power source didn’t come into our reality, traces of energy did.” Pictures of scientists working through equations in secret locations scrolled across the table. 

 

“As for your weird DNA,” Tony spoke up, “HYDRA was in the business of collecting DNA samples from unknowing citizens in an attempt to make human super-weapons. So they were basically making mutants and raising them to be soldiers.” He said it in his own casual way, but the line of stress in his forehead gave away his concern. 

 

“They started combining the energy with the sperm and egg samples they stole, in the hopes of it latching on and making a new breed of human with the power to control the energy.” Bruce brought up a regular strand of DNA and ran a simulation of the power from the stone connecting to it. The strand disintegrated instantly. “Normal DNA is unable to support the radiation it gives off, but yours allows the energy to flow between the nitrogenous bases without damaging the double helix structure. So, umm…” He took off his glasses and looked into Kendra’s wide eyes. “You were made specifically to contain the energy they gathered, in the hopes of making you their weapon.” 

 

Kendra blinked slowly. “Huh.” She stared at her hands for a moment longer, her face a perfect picture of building panic, before pushing away from the table and starting for the door. No one stopped her, but Nat did stand in preparation to go after her.

 

She hesitated before following and turned back to the table briefly. “Wheels up in two hours. We’re going to investigate that outlying energy.” Before anyone could hold her back for questions, she was out the door.

 

“Alright,” Tony rubbed his hands together. “Ignoring the fact that I would have made us go anyway, whoever’s going, get ready. We’ve got a big day ahead of us, kids!” 

 

“Can we still trust her?” Wanda asked, “I’ve seen her mind, and she was telling the truth just now. But if she was made by HYDRA, can we really be sure she’s not a sleeper agent?” 

 

Tony stopped his efforts to escape the room and sat down at the head of the table with a pout. Steve took up the question and answered firmly. “We don’t have enough resources to know if she means us any harm. We can trust her for now, but we’re going to work to put this all behind us. Understood?” 

 

His team nodded in agreement. 

 

“This realm is curious, indeed,” Loki said with a smirk where he reclined back in his chair. “The bond you all hold for each other makes for wonderful entertainment.”

 

Wanda spun around in her chair, arms and legs crossed and eyes narrowed. “Didn’t I tell you that I would break all your fingers if you spoke?” 

 

The smile on Loki’s face dropped and his shoulders visibly tensed. 

 

Sam stood with a sigh. “Wanda, you hang around Natasha too much. It’s creepy.” 

 

* * *

Ken could hear someone following her down the halls to the bedrooms but didn’t look back. For the first time in her life, she wanted to be alone, and was determined to get to her own quarters before they caught up to her. 

 

“Kendra, wait,” Natasha called to her. “I know you’re upset, I just want to--”

 

“Upset?” Ken spun and switched to German, as she felt the language could accurately portray her rage in a way English couldn’t. “I just found out that I’m not even a real human. I’m not  _ upset _ , I’m fucking pissed!” 

 

Nat stopped her pursuit and reached out to reassure her. “Kendra, we’ll figure this out.” 

 

A slightly hysterical laugh escaped from Ken’s mouth, making Nat hesitate with physical comfort. “Oh, god… I don’t even want to know…” She looked down and crossed her arms tightly, her voice broke with her next whispered words. “I can’t. They took so much from me already and now I find out that I was just a...a  _ guinea pig _ for their experiments. It’s like some kind of sick joke...”

 

Natasha saw the sensitivity of the moment and tried to think of the best approach to the situation. All too suddenly, she remembered Laura’s advice: to be herself, and the rest would come easily. So she did what felt right, what  _ she _ wanted to do, and not what she was taught to do in personal encounters.

 

She let her hand continue forward to gently reach out and rest on Ken’s shoulder. The other woman glanced at her hand, then followed her arm up to her face. The sincere look in the Black Widow’s eyes momentarily brought warmth to Kendra’s chest.

 

“Kendra, you’re still you,” Natasha spoke softly and squeezed Ken’s arm. “You’re here with me, and we’re going to figure this out. Understand?” 

 

Kendra pressed her lips together before blurting out, “Why would they let me go if I’m a successful experiment?” She worked the word ‘experiment’ over her tongue like it was something slimy she had to spit out.

 

“We’ll find out.” She tugged her forward gently and enveloped her in her arms. “I promise we’ll be okay. You’ll just have to trust me.”

 

Ken nodded into her shoulder and wrapped her arms around Nat’s torso. She spoke softly and made the moment feel that much more intimate. “I do trust you. But I don’t trust HYDRA to not have some bigger end game. Too many things don’t make sense.” 

 

“We’ll figure things out,” Natasha tightened the hug marginally. “I promise.”  

 

Not for the first time, Kendra was startled by the sincerity in Natasha’s voice. When they first met, they had been far from friends. There were definite trust issues between them, and it didn’t seem like they would ever move past them. But after that morning in the training room, after Ken had seen Natasha without her shell, she realized there may be more of a chance for them than she thought. 

 

Kendra bunched the fabric of Natasha’s shirt in her fists. At that moment, she was the only thing anchoring Kendra to reality. Without her there, she may have broken down completely. Now it was easy to let out her tears of confusion, anger, and grief into the sleeve of Natasha’s sweater.

 

She was lucky to have her there. 

 

Natasha began to rock slowly, helping ease Ken down from her panic. Her back jumped under Natasha’s hands in quiet gasps and whimpers. Natasha’s shoulder started to feel warm from the tears Ken was shedding, but she let her stay. She knew from experience that moments like these weren’t meant to be spent alone.

 

She could remember a time when being exposed like this was a sign of weakness. But, she thought, how could it be a weakness when it made her and Kendra that much stronger? She knew right then that she would do whatever she could to protect Kendra, because she knew she would do the same for her. Because she was worth it. Because she made Natasha happy in a way that no one else had been able to. 

 

And that was worth protecting.

 

Slowly, Kendra drew out of the cocoon of comfort Nat provided, and stepped back marginally. “Thanks,” She croaked and rubbed her eyes with her wrist. “Sorry I kinda--”

 

“Don’t be sorry.” She interrupted, voice steady and reassuring. “I wanted to help.”

 

A small smile graced Kendra’s features and lit up her red-rimmed eyes. “You did. Thank you.” She sighed and straightened herself to stand a little taller. “What now?”

 

“We’re investigating that other energy signature today. We take off in less than two hours.” Natasha held up a hand when she saw Ken’s body posture tense up. “No, you aren’t going.”

 

“What?!” There was that spirit again, Natasha thought. “Are you going?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then why can’t I?” She motioned between the two of them, then settled her hands against her chest. “What if I’m the only one that can beat this thing? What if they made a weapon with the energy and I can stop it?” 

 

“We’ll find a way, Ken.” She pulled her hands down before she could start gesturing again. “I won’t risk them getting you back. We don’t want to lose you.”  _ I can’t lose anyone else, especially not you. _

 

But Kendra wasn’t backing down. “Nat,” She tilted her head down to look up at her opponent through her lashes. The look might have been sexy if she didn’t have dark determination in her gray eyes. “It’s my freaky DNA, I should take some responsibility. I’m getting on that plane.” 

 

Nat frowned down at her. “You don’t even have a suit.” It was a weak argument, and she knew it. But the thought of Kendra going on a mission that lacked so much information left a sour taste in her mouth. Alternatively, she knew she would react the exact same way if a mission from  _ her _ past suddenly popped up. 

 

A triumphant grin flashed across Kendra’s face, and she pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. “I can get one. Give me three minutes to make a few calls.” 

 

She wasn’t giving up on this.

 

Nat sighed and resigned herself. “Be on the plane in an hour and a half, or we’re leaving without you.”

 

Ken was already typing in a number. 

 

* * *

Contrary to the popular belief of the ten people who knew he was still alive, Fury never truly gave up on espionage work. Already, he was deeply connected to the dark web, taking his search for information to the cyber-verse. He had a team of people ready to find injustices and report them properly, rather than take care of them himself. He would get there, though.

 

Hill had stayed by his side the entire time and still took up space at his desk. She was more connected to the non-digital world, and often used her old connections to help Fury’s new espionage agency grow. This new generation of spies would have no higher-ups to report to, no traitors, no authority to bend for, and absolutely no limitations.

 

His personal cell phone was ringing. He turned away from his tablet and glanced at the caller ID before scowling and throwing the device to Hill. 

 

Maria caught it without looking up from the papers on Fury’s desk and flipped it open. “Yes, Hickman?” 

 

“ _ Hi, Agent Hill! Is Nicholas there? _ ”

 

She pulled the phone away from her ear. “It’s for you.” She put the phone back on Fury’s desk and slid it towards him. When he looked up, trying to express how much he didn’t want to talk to the world’s most talkative super spy, Hill gave him a look that read,  _ talk to her, you coward _ . He grumbled, but picked up the phone all the same. 

 

“What is it, Hickman.”

 

“ _ I need my tactical suit. _ ”

 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you seriously calling me because you lost your suit?”

 

“ _ Do you still have it? You didn’t throw it away, did you? _ ”

 

“I wouldn’t throw away a forty-thousand dollar tactical espionage suit,” he said in deadpan. “I sent it to the Avengers base two weeks ago. Maybe you should check under your bed and  _ stop calling me about stupid shit _ .” 

 

He pressed the red button to hang up without wishing her goodbye. “Stop it.” 

 

Hill didn’t drop the smirk on her face. “I didn’t say anything.”

 

“You were thinking it.” 

 

* * *

Kendra stared at her phone in confusion. She looked up at the hallway ceiling, “FRIDAY, did a package or something come for me?” 

 

“ _ A box arrived for a Kasey Holt three days ago. Tony put it under his work table and forgot about it. _ ”

 

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” 

 

“ _ You’re not Kasey Holt. _ ” 

 

Kendra put her hands on her hips and glared up at the ceiling. “I see Tony still hasn’t removed your sarcasm feature yet. Is it still there?” 

 

“ _ Yes. _ ”

 

Ken looked to Nat with an excited gleam in her eyes. “Let me slip into something more comfortable, and I’ll meet you there.” She started walking backwards toward the elevator while she spoke.

 

The joke made Natasha chuckle, and she waved her off while the doors at the end of the hall closed. “Be fast.” Ken shot a thumbs up her way before the metal doors separated them.

 

The moment the doors closed, blocking her from Nat’s sight, Ken dropped the positive gesture. Her face fell into a downcast frown. Despite her normally happy outlook, she knew when it was time to buckle down and get to work. There was a reason she had been Fury’s best connection to his own agency. She was going to get the information they needed on this mission and keep her team safe while she did it. 

 

There was too much on the line to screw this up.


	8. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big mission hits some bumps.

It was decided that a smaller ground team was most effective for the terrain they would be fighting through to get into the mountains. Steve, Wanda, Natasha, and Ken were to sneak in undetected and find any computer they could to download all the base’s information. Tony and Thor volunteered to provide air and tech support outside the base to draw as many enemies away from the target as possible. It sounded simple enough, but things rarely ever turned out that way for the Avengers.

 

Ken already felt at home in her old suit. While it wasn’t necessarily designed for stealth like the Black Widow’s, it served its purpose wonderfully. A dark gray undersuit with thermal control was the first layer, covering her from her neck to her ankles. Boots stretching up her calves with black armor on the legs protected her feet, matching the guards and gloves on her forearms. A thicker chest plate wrapped around her torso, protecting her back and front. Her face was the only part of her body that showed, but a pair of shaded goggles rest on her head, ready to be used. As far as anyone would be able to tell, the only weapons she had on her were in the holster around her hips. Natasha knew better.

 

Plus side: Ken’s arms were covered in padding, so Natasha couldn’t be distracted by the pure strength they displayed. Downside: The spandex of her suit did  _ everything _ for her ass. Needless to say, Natasha spent most of the four-hour plane ride staring a little too hard at anything that wasn’t her team member’s butt, just to prove to herself that she could. It was proving to be difficult when Steve was keeping her standing away from Wanda and Nat, with her back to them, no less, for some lecture on separating personal life and a mission. 

 

She didn’t hear exactly what Steve said, but she did hear Ken’s response. 

 

“This coming from the man who literally started a civil war for his boyfriend?” Her tone was light, and not at all accusatory, but that didn’t stop Steve from trying to stutter out a defense. “No worries, Captain. I’ll be good.” Ken assured him and saved him from trying to talk around it. 

 

“ _ Approaching HYDRA base airspace. Prepare to drop. _ ” FRIDAY’s voice announced to the cabin. 

 

Nat stood with a small groan and stretched her arms behind her head. “Everyone ready?” She asked her team. 

 

Kendra nodded, face a picture of seriousness. “I’m ready. Thor, can I get a lift down?”

 

The God of Thunder grinned and twirled his hammer in the air. “But of course! I warn you though, the landing will be a tad...bumpy.” 

 

“I can handle it. Just get me as close to the building as you can, and we can corral any ground troops out of our way.” She slid her shaded goggles over her eyes. “Let’s do this.” 

 

Tony hummed in mild surprise at the sudden seriousness Kendra was exuding. Granted, she had been through quite a lot of major life changes in the last day, but it was still surprising to witness. “You heard the lady, let’s bounce.” He hit a lever on the edge of the jet wall and the cargo doors began to slide open. 

 

“Now remember,” Steve yelled over the wind, “This is an information extraction mission, so we don’t need to completely overtake the base. Just watch each other’s backs and lay low until we get what we came here for.” 

 

“Roger, Rogers.” Tony gave a mock salute before holding out a hand with a mock bow. “Shall we?” 

 

Steve frowned, unimpressed, but let the Iron Man grip the harness on his back to carry them both down safely. Steve didn’t resist becoming Tony’s newest accessory while he was dragged from the plane. He looked used to it.

 

“Here at the Avengers,” Wanda said sarcastically while she lifted Natasha and herself with her powers, “we don’t believe in parachutes.” Nat, by now used to being transported to battle, shot a reassuring glance at Ken before she and Wanda dropped from the plane.

 

Thor held out his hand for Ken, but she shook her head politely. “Just be sure to catch me before I hit the ground,” She said with a smirk while she backed out of the plane and fell backwards into the air. 

 

“Lady Kendra!” Thor called in alarm and leaped out as well. 

 

Natasha saw the gray streak that was Kendra fall past her and Wanda, quickly followed by Thor. She rolled her eyes at the agent’s eagerness and caught Wanda’s grin at watching her teammate’s nosedive into enemy territory. While Natasha couldn’t really say she approved, it did seem like a very ‘Kendra’ thing to do. 

 

Thor managed to grab Kendra’s leg and toss her above him to sit across his arms bridal-style before she broke through the treetops. He leveled out, hammer brandished in front of him to guide them, as he wove through the forest until they skid to a stop against the snow-covered ground. 

 

Before they even landed, Ken had a shield up around them. And a good thing too, because they were being hailed with gunfire before they even came to a complete stop. Thor looked alarmed at the sudden assault, but Kendra just scowled and tapped the side of her goggles. Turrets and men alike were highlighted before her eyes, and she pointed out their positions to the God of Thunder.

 

“There are men in the treetops,” She spoke into their coms, “and turrets on the ground. I’ll put up a shield to let you land.” 

 

Thor set her down in the snow and launched himself into the fray. Ken let him pass the barrier and closed it back behind him with both hands raised. An indestructible wall separated her from the assault and allowed the rest of her teammates to drop to the ground behind her. 

 

“Shoot to stun, not kill,” Steve instructed, “Tony, you and Thor stay out here and draw them out. Everyone else, we’re finding a way in and sticking together.” 

 

Widow loaded up her stingers and sidestepped towards Ken. “You play defense I play offence?” She proposed. 

 

“Sounds good.” Ken minimized her shields to only protect the front of them. 

 

Wanda immediately blew a turret out of the ground to give them a path. Knowing that her teammates would be safer now, she flew into the canopy of branches and began working on the snipers in the trees. 

 

Kendra and Natasha made quick work of any ground troops that came their way. When she was unhindered and free to weave through a battle without worry of being injured, the Black Widow was a force to be reckoned with. Kendra was right there with her, guarding them against any threat that came their way. 

 

Ken knew she wasn’t acting like herself. But while she felt physically ready to find answers, she felt mentally exhausted. Her past had never even been a thought, too focused on building a future to explore what seemed unimportant at the time. But now her past was threatening her future, and that was unacceptable. So she blocked Natasha’s left flank from machine gun fire, and advanced on the singular soldier in white camouflage. 

 

Natasha, distracted with the two men she was kicking down, finished quickly and turned to the last opponent in the immediate area. Kendra had already yanked the gun from his hands and clubbed the side of his helmet. He was only stunned for a moment, so Natasha took the opportunity to shoot him in the gut with her Widow stings. 

 

He doubled over and crumpled to the ground, whimpering in pain.

 

Ken didn’t spare him a glance, instead looping the gun across her back and trudging through the snow to pass Natasha. They were almost to the cliff wall that held the HYDRA base, by now. 

 

“Hey,” Natasha grabbed Kendra’s bicep to stop her. She waited until her reflection in Kendra’s tinted goggles looked back at her. “How are we doing?” 

 

Bad, Ken thought, tired and sad and wanting this to be over. “Okay,” she answered instead, “just ready to finish this.” It wasn’t a total lie, but the parts that weren’t the truth still stabbed into her guilty conscience.

 

And Natasha knew it, too. She didn’t bother hiding the suspicious tilt of her mouth or the noncommital hum of agreement. The whole interaction felt like lemon juice on a paper cut. 

 

The women were the second ones to arrive at the cliff face, after the Captain. He was pushing back a small squadron of men, slowly but surely. With Natasha’s help and Kendra’s shields, the fight was over rather quickly and uneventfully. 

 

“Thanks,” Steve said breathlessly, “Now we just have to find a way in.”

 

Nat tapped the side of her earpiece. “Tony, you get that?” 

 

“ _ Loud and clear, _ ” he replied with a background symphony of gunfire and small explosions, “ _ FRIDAY is saying there’s a set of doors about twenty feet to your left. They must be camouflaged. _ ”

 

“ _ On it _ ,” Wanda answered moments before she crashed through the treetops and thrust her arms towards the rock wall midair. Red energy lashed out at the stone, outlining two tall doors, before the teenager ripped them off their hinges and threw them into the forest behind her knocking back a small wave of reinforcements that had been trying to get the jump on them. 

 

She landed on the ground before the group softly, not even out of breath. “Are we going?” She jabbed a thumb behind her. 

 

Steve shook himself out of his amazement at the display of raw power first. “Right. Thor, Tony, keep us updated. We’ll be fast.”

 

After hearing confirmation from both Avengers, the small team moved forward. 

 

The hallways were pristine, like a lab. All surfaces were white or off-white, and no doorways revealed themselves. There was nowhere to hide should the need arise. 

 

“Stay sharp,” Steve instructed in response to the eerie silence. No alarms were going off, and no fighters came out to meet them. 

 

A sudden groaning rattled the walls and floors around them before the entrance they came through closed off with a wall of steel. Just as quickly, something clicked in the ceiling and a plate of equally tough metal dropped to separate them. Natasha just managed to pull Steve towards her and out of danger from being crushed before their team was separated. 

 

“Shit…!” Ken banged on the wall with the side of her fist, testing its strength. 

 

While Wanda tried to lift or break through the barrier, Ken tapped her earpiece. “Widow? Cap? anyone there?” 

 

“ _ Yeah, is everyone okay? _ ” Ken let out a relieved sigh when Cap replied.

 

“Yes, we’re trying to get through this wall. Is everything alright on your side?” 

 

“ _ We’re fine, _ ” Natasha answered this time, “ _ Can you get back to us? _ ”

 

Wanda was straining with her efforts to get back to their teammates. “I can't,” she relented, “It’s too tough and sealed into the floor. Even if I do move it, it’ll destroy the hallway.” 

 

“We’ll find a way back,” Ken assured, “Maybe we should--” 

 

An echoing voice with a slight Scottish accent interrupted her over the intercoms. “ _ Only six Avengers? Here I thought I was worth at least eight. _ ” 

 

Natasha and Steve slammed their backs against each other, ready for an attack. None came, but the voice did drawl on with amusement in the male’s voice. “ _ Let me tell you what’s happening here. I am called the Puppetmaster, because I am pulling all the strings. Nothing that happens today will be outside of what I want, because I know each and every one of your minds. So go about your business here, just know; I will be watching. _ ”

 

When it didn’t sound like he would say anything else, Nat tapped her com. “He’s playing mind games,” she explained urgently, “Continue with the mission, and don’t follow any obvious routes or choices. This whole thing feels off.” 

 

“ _ Will do, _ ” Wanda replied, “ _ We will make an exit for ourselves and find what we need. _ ” 

 

“Tell us when you do,” Steve instructed, “and be careful. We don’t have contact with Thor and Tony. We’re on our own in here.” 

 

“ _ You too, _ ” Kendra replied, “ _ Stay safe _ .” The instruction was uttered quietly, in a tone Natasha had only heard earlier that day when they were talking. And maybe it was wishful thinking, but she could have sworn that was directed towards her. 

 

With no other options, Nat and Steve were forced to continue along the pale hallway in the hopes of finding an actual exit.

 

* * *

 

 

Wanda and Ken had made their own hallway with Wanda’s powers and blasted a hole in the opposite, not metal wall. They found themselves in an empty conference room, with what looked like state of the art technology lining the walls in boxes and wrappers.

 

“I guess there are still ways they’re getting an income,” Kendra practically growled, voice dripping with ire.

 

“We’ll worry about it later,” Wanda pulled her arm towards the door. “For now, let’s focus on the mission.” 

 

Kendra pulled herself out of her own thoughts. Wanda was right; there was too much to worry about in front of them to think of anything else. They needed to find their teammates, get the information, and get the hell out of here. Kendra had been in HYDRA bases before, but this one felt...wrong, somehow. Like the air itself was too thin and her heart was pumping something thicker than blood. 

 

Newly focused, they quietly exit the room to see an empty hallway just as white as the one they first entered. The silence was deafening, making every breath and rustle of fabric sound like it was projected through a megaphone. Their footsteps were nearly silent as they crept to their right, further into the facility. 

 

The calm didn’t last for long, because their path led them directly around a corner, where a squadron of armed soldiers with riot shields awaited them. 

 

Ken groaned, clearly irate. “Fucking great.” She took a fighting stance as the first wave of men advanced. “Wanda, call the others with an update.” Without checking to see that she’d done as she was asked, Kendra sprinted at the oncoming men. 

 

Wanda stepped back to make the call while keeping an eye on Ken. The way she fought was forceful and quick, not unlike how Captain America maneuvered the battlefield. 

 

“About twenty men in front of us, armed for close combat,” Wanda reported, “We might be a bit slowed down.”

 

* * *

 

Steve kept his eyes in motion, darting around the hall while Nat worked on hacking a lock on a well-guarded door. Well, previously well-guarded. Unconscious bodies were strewn around their feet and small splatters of blood dotted the white walls. 

 

“You need help?” Steve asked.

 

“ _ No, uh...I think Kendra is working through some stuff. _ ” A sickening crack could be heard through the mic followed closely by a distant scream. “ _ We’ll be fine _ .”

 

Steve blinked. “Okay...just be careful. We think we found the control center, breaching now.” 

 

The control lock gave a sharp beep before the light flashed green and the door clicked open. Nat stood up gracefully. “‘Working through some stuff?'” The worried crease in her brow betrayed any sense of humor in the situation. 

 

Steve stepped into the empty room first, shield up. “It’s been a rough day. If she’s going to get angry I’m at least glad it’s at the enemy.” 

 

Automatic lights clicked on above them, illuminating a wide office workspace. Each small desk was disorganized with papers and pencils scattered about. “Looks like they were in a rush,” Nat commented. 

 

“Stay on guard,” Steve said softly. Only one computer screen was still flickering at the edge on the office space. Wordlessly, they scanned the room, searching for anything out of order before approaching the last computer. 

 

When it looked like nothing had been left for them but the most obvious piece of evidence in the room, Natasha scowled. She hated to play into this “Puppetmaster’s” hands, but they didn’t have much of a choice if they had any hope of getting back to Wanda and Ken quickly.

 

“Steve, keep watch while I hack this.” Her tone left no room for arguments and had Steve on guard instantly. She didn’t even need to utilize her computer hacking skills, however, because as soon as she moved the mouse, a video began playing. 

 

A man, older, with graying hairs and Caucasian descent, smiled back at her with crooked white teeth. “ _ Hello, Black Widow. How lovely to see you again. _ ” Scottish accent. 

 

She snarled and edged away from the computer. “Who are you?” She demanded, “Why are you doing this?”

 

“ _ Just like you, I have an agenda, _ ” he answered with a smile that would look kind to the untrained eye. But Natasha could see the dark intent behind his blue eyes, “ _ And just like you, I will stop at nothing to get what I want. _ ” 

 

Her voice was sharp. “And just what is it you’re after?” 

 

The only answer she got was a smirk. “ _ You’ll find out soon enough, Natalia. In the meantime, I welcome you to take what you’re searching for. _ ” The screen flipped to the software screen of the computer. “ _ I have nothing to hide. Just don’t be so sure that you'll be so keen to keep Miss. Hickman close to you when you find the answers you seek. _ ” 

 

After a brief moment of hesitation, Natasha began to download the base’s files onto a flash drive. Even though she scanned for viruses and any surveillance within the files, she found none. But they couldn’t accept nothing from this mission. 

 

Steve took the few moments of silence to alert Ken and Wanda of their progress. “Wanda, Ken, we’ve got something. Find an exit and we’ll meet you at the jet.”

 

“ _ Might be a bit of a problem! _ ” Kendra’s voice was strained and followed by a quick grunt. The sound of machine gun fire quiets the area before she elaborated. “ _ These guys are endless! We can’t find an out! _ ” 

 

Natasha and Steve were already sprinting out of the room. “Where are you?” Natasha snapped into her com.

 

* * *

 

Kendra stepped back, covering Wanda as she flung soldiers back with waves of power. She looked around for any discernible markings that may tell them where they were and found a sign printed on the opposite wall. “Level three, subsection C.” She gave Wanda a moment’s rest, peppering the oncoming assailants with gunfire before the gun clicked empty, and she resorted to using her shields. “We’ve got our back to a window, but we can’t take the time to break it or we’ll be overrun.”

 

“ _ Stay there, we’re coming to you. _ ” 

 

“That won’t be a problem!” Wanda grunted while she slammed two men together midair. “Just hurry!”

 

Kendra kept her shields spinning around them, deflecting blows and bullets alike. While Wanda was grateful for the defense, it was making things a little crowded as the troops of men closed down on them. She was more suited for open aired combat, where she could move freely and wreak controlled havoc. Here, she had to be careful not to hit Kendra or bring down the walls around them. 

 

It also wasn’t helping that she and Kendra had never sparred together or worked as a team, and it showed. They were uncoordinated, sloppy, and more than once held back because of the possibility of causing the other injury. With startling understanding, Wanda realized they were losing. 

 

“Wanda!” Ken yelled as she ran out of bullets in yet another gun. “The best thing we can do is keep inside one of my shields, and I’ll hold it until we get back up.” All the same, she picked up another gun and continued pushing the endless numbers back. 

 

It only took a moment for Wanda to come to the same conclusion, and she agreed quickly. Without hesitation, she pushed the men around them back in a near perfect ring, and Kendra's shield quickly followed in an encompassing bubble. The sounds of battle were instantly muffled, yet the fully armored soldiers still didn’t stop. They continued to try and break down the shield for a few more moments, before admitting defeat and stepping away. One man at the back of the battalion started handing out orders, which a few troops rushed out of sight to obey. 

 

Upon seeing that the threat was contained, for now, Wanda sighed and turned to Kendra. The woman looked  _ pissed _ at their predicament. Even behind her goggles, her expression was furious; mouth set in a straight line, jaw clenched and forehead slightly wrinkled. Though the rage seemed to even out when she turned to look at Wanda. 

 

“Are you okay?” She asked. Her arms were spread beside her, and her stance was braced. Wanda guessed it was from holding the barrier between them and the enemy. 

 

The teenager shrugged. “I’ve had worse. You?” 

 

Ken nodded stiffly, “I’ll be fine. Check that gun, will you? I have a theory.” She nodded to the weapon at her feet. 

 

Wanda was already picking up the heavy machine gun and noticed it was lighter than it should be. “What the…?” She started tilting it back and forth to examine it.

 

“I know, it’s like a toy.” Kendra agreed, “Check the magazine. Are they real bullets?” 

 

Wanda pulled the clip out and dumped a slew of black rubber bullets into her palm. “No. They’re rubber.”

 

Kendra nodded and scowled. “They want us alive. And only us, if Cap and Widow haven’t run into any trouble.” 

 

Wanda tossed the gun to the floor and sighed. “Well, they’re going to be disappointed.”

 

Kendra nodded in agreement but kept her focus on the soldiers. They had all suddenly froze, heads tilted slightly. As one, they backed away from the shield and stood around it at a good distance. Wanda noticed too and narrowed her eyes. The unnerving stares pinning them from behind tinted masks was concerning. 

 

“What are they--?” Wanda began but was cut off by the tremor that cut through the floor beneath them. The floor gave out in moments, pulling the women down into darkness. 

 

Wanda’s feet hit uneven rubble, and her knees gave out beneath her, sending her tumbling down a shallow slope of wrecked concrete and metal. The floor above them was still collapsing, and she just managed to catch the falling pieces of rock before they struck her. 

 

Ken landed on her back, flat pavement beneath her and chunks of concrete and metal falling towards her prone form. She managed to get a shield up above her and block her body from harm, but the distraction allowed a strong pair of hands to grab her biceps and drag her away from the worst of the collapse before it fell. Thinking it was Steve, (because who else had strength like that?) she rolled over and started to climb to her feet. The witty comment died on her lips, however, when a stabbing pain jabbed down into her neck just above her collar. 

 

She staggered back with a yelp, which was drowned out by the burst of the last charge going off. A stray rock grazed her temple, just barely scraping her head but cracking the edge of her goggles. Groggy, she tore them off and tried to face down her attackers, but whatever they had stabbed into her was already taking effect. Dark figures swam in front of her before the blackness spread and encompassed her vision.

 

* * *

 

It took a few seconds, but once the charges that had blown out the floor above them had subsided Wanda cast aside the stones that threatened to crush her. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the bruises and dust covering her body. 

 

“Kendra?” She coughed into the dark and dusty room. Wherever they were, it was stuffy and confined. The spot of light shining from the ceiling was so clouded with dust she couldn’t see through it anyway. “Ken!” She tried again. There was no response. 

 

She cursed under her breath and opened her com. “Cap?” 

 

“ _ Was that explosion we heard you? _ ” Natasha answered instead. “ _ What happened? _ ” 

 

“They backed us into a corner,” Wanda explained while she began to shift aside rubble, searching for any sign of Kendra. “Ken put up a shield to bar them off but they blew charges beneath us. It’s dark, I can’t see any signs.”

 

“ _ We’re coming _ ,” Steve answered, sounding like he was running. “ _ Are you both okay? _ ” 

 

“I’m okay, but,” Wanda grunted as she shifted a larger chunk. The piece glowed scarlet for a split second before dividing into pieces and scattering out of sight. “I lost Ken in the fall. I’m looking for her now.”

 

“ _ We’re there. About to come down. _ ” 

 

Before the transmission even finished, Wanda saw two forms vault over the edge of the blown-out ceiling. She caught them with barely a thought and lowered them to the pile of rubble slowly. Natasha was immediately on her knees, sifting through the dirt. 

 

“Is she buried? Can you feel her anywhere?” She asked Wanda with a forced sense of calm. 

 

Wanda closed her eyes and focused on any minds present. She could only feel Natasha and Steve. She couldn’t feel anything from the floor above. “No, I don’t sense her, but I would know if she was dead. What happened to the guards?”

 

Steve began looking around the pile of rubble for any obvious evidence. “There was no one up there. Not even any bodies.” He became distracted by something he saw on the ground. “Nat, get over here!” He called.

 

“What is it?” Natasha nearly slid down the wreckage to get to the Captain. 

 

“Here,” He pointed to a streak of dirt surrounded by sets of footprints. “Something was dragged away from the rubble.”

 

Something caught Natasha’s eye and she shifted the dirt to get a better look. “Damnit…” She cursed quietly as she stood and presented the new evidence to the Captain. Steve took Kendra’s broken goggles and studied them carefully. 

 

Meanwhile, Wanda had moved away from the ring of light spilling in from above them and was looking around the room they were in. She held a ball of glowing red power in hand and sent it to hover along the walls. 

 

It looked like they had fallen into an indoor running track. The stadium was rather large with a lower ceiling and a small court in the center of the oval track. 

 

Natasha followed the trail of dust until it trailed to nothing. “Steve, give me those goggles.” He handed them over to the agent and she slid them on. It took a few moments, but she calibrated them to see traces of the dirt that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Now highlighted in neon colors, she could see that the dirt trail led to the far wall, and stopped suddenly. The trail continued under the metal barrier, and she called Wanda over.

 

She understood without speaking and pulled the section of the wall back. “Why does every HYDRA facility we’ve ever been in have secret doors?” She scoffed as she stepped into the hidden corridor. 

 

Steve took up the rear while Natasha led the way. Wanda’s red lights followed the team, hovering above them and bathing the dark hallway in a red glow. When the trail faded to nothing, Natasha stopped them. “I can’t see anything else. Where the hell could she have been taken?” She snapped, mostly talking to herself. 

 

Wanda looked to be deep in thought while Steve answered. “I don’t know, but we’ll find her. It’s important to keep a clear head in this situation.” He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, probably to be comforting, but the energy buzzing under Natasha’s skin made it uncomfortable. 

 

She wanted to find Ken. She wasn’t so foolish as to think that her kidnapping was an opportunity that was taken. This was planned, and they had walked right into their trap. Kendra’s urge to find information on her elusive past and Natasha’s need to help her find closure had driven them right into HYDRA’s hands. 

 

She knew how merciless they could be, how far they would go to get what they want. There were too many questions that they couldn’t find answers for. Perhaps they had answers in the flash drive she’d stolen, but they would be useless without Kendra. They were only at the facility for her, to find those answers, but they kept meeting obstacles and distractions. 

 

Natasha took a moment to wonder why that should matter to her so much, but couldn’t quell the raging emotions and thoughts that began their tempest the instant she had known Kendra was in danger. Determination smothered the storm in her mind, driving her into her Black Widow persona to find her companion. 

 

She had just found a friend in Kendra, and she wasn’t going to lose her so soon. 

 

“Wanda,” She turned to the witch, “What are you thinking?” 

 

The teen looked startled at being addressed but answered confidently. “I was just thinking, I’ve been in Kendra’s head. Maybe I can find her mind again and locate her.” 

 

“Do it.” 

 

Wanda closed her eyes and sought out Ken’s mind. She was looking for any trace of her presence in the building and tried to latch onto a location. It was like finding a flickering candle in a room on fire, but she managed to focus on Ken’s mind. 

 

Natasha busied herself with pacing and trying to connect to Ken’s com. Unsurprisingly, only static rang through the connection. All the same, she murmured in French in the hopes that Ken could hear her, while the language barrier would prevent Steve and Wanda from understanding her distress. “We’ll find you. We’re coming. Just stay alive or I swear I’ll kill you, Kendra.” 

 

No reply.

 

“Found her,” Wanda announced while her eyes flicked back and forth beneath her lids. “She’s trying to wake up. I think she’s drugged.” 

 

“Where is she?” 

 

_ Wanda looked through Kendra’s eyes, unable to communicate but hopefully able to find her. While her vision was hazy and already darkening on the edges, she did manage to stare at a floor sign long enough for Wanda to read it. _

 

“Level Zero, Section C.” She announced and released her hold on Kendra to focus on her own body. “They’re in some kind of basement.”

 

“Find the stairs,” Steve ordered.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kendra was just coming to in a dimly lit room. She was being shifted around roughly, unable to focus on anything. Her limbs felt heavy, and her mind sluggish.  _ Drugs _ , her mind helpfully supplies. Not that the information made things any easier. 

 

Suddenly her vision shifted and she was unceremoniously dropped onto a table. She was left staring at a dark ceiling illuminated only by emergency lights along the walls. The room was small, and barely fit the small crowd of people inside. But among all the hustle and bustle happening around her, one still figure stood out to Ken. 

 

A man, short with graying hair and crooked white teeth displayed by his wide grin stepped forward until he was leaning over Kendra’s face. “Hello, Kendra. How lovely to see you again.” She knew his voice, knew that accent, and barely realized this was the man speaking over the intercom when they first walked into the facility. 

 

Ken did her best to glare, but it was hard to direct her anger when her vision was tilting and her head was swimming so viciously.  

 

He just smiled wider and reached out to grip her chin gently. “There we go,” he said as he moved her head to fully face him, “It’s only polite to keep eye contact when having a conversation. Oh, but you’re going back under, aren’t you?” 

 

Kendra was barely focusing on the small window of sight her tunnel vision was allowing her, but struggled to stay awake all the same. However, the mist clouding over her mind was too powerful to keep her from slumber. She felt herself start to drift, but the Puppetmaster’s grip tightened on her jaw suddenly. 

 

“Ah ah ah,” he chastised as if she were a small child. “We’re not done yet, Mystery.”

 

She attempted to lift her limbs, move away,  _ anything _ , with nothing but a full-body twitch to show for it. This made her captor smile. 

 

“There we are.” He finally moved back, releasing her jaw. “I know you can fight falling asleep, Kendra. You were made to be stronger than this.” He began to walk around the perimeter of the table she was laid on. “DNA is a funny thing, you know. It grows and multiplies to make a whole person, but never changes. We were wrong about you. We thought you were broken goods. I guess we were lucky I had a shred of sympathy for you.” 

 

Someone pulled Kendra’s head to face the ceiling again, and clasped straps across her temples to hold her in place. Once again, she attempted to regain control of her body, but only found her muscles willing to do little more than tense and twitch. 

 

The Puppetmaster stopped behind her and smiled pleasantly down at her. “I will see you soon, dear daughter.” 

 

And then the darkness creeping in the corners of her vision dragged her into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

Wanda’s eyes faded back from the bright red glow they’d taken on. “She’s asleep. Last I saw she was in a small dark room.”

 

“Anything else?” Natasha asked urgently. But the witch just shook her head. 

 

They had traveled down the stairs quickly, and found the sign Wanda assured was the same one Kendra had seen. But they still found nothing leading them any closer to their teammate. 

 

Steve was searching the abandoned corridor, peeking into the rooms with the doors left open for any kind of sign. Wanda was trying to connect her mind to Kendra’s in the hope of finding her again. Tony and Thor had to have realized they were in trouble by now and were probably working on a way to get them out. Her team was doing all they could to come out of this on top. Natasha had never felt so useless.

 

She should have never let Kendra come with them. She should have realized that the sudden discovery of the infinity stone’s energy was too convenient, too obvious of a trap. Why wouldn’t HYDRA want Kendra back? She was, from what Natasha had heard, a valuable experiment that they had thought was destined to fail. 

 

Looking back, she knows she should have realized a lot of things.

 

Her mind had only been this chaotic one other time in her life; when she had broken free of her programming and decided to go with Barton to join SHIELD. But that was before she had decided to make fast friends with Kendra. That was before she started reflecting parts of her personality and feeling more often and stronger than she’d ever felt before. That was before she cared.

 

And it was so difficult to care, or to know how to, but she knew she cared for Kendra. She knew she would do anything to get her home. She knew she wanted Kendra to be safe. She wanted them both to be safe and far away from this. Away from danger and anything that could hurt them ever again. Very few people deserved a life like that, least of all her, but Kendra did. 

 

But no amount of “should”’s and “could”’s would help her now. She needed to drag herself out of her thoughts and  _ act _ .

 

Before she could turn to ask Steve what she could do, the Captain called out. “Over here!” 

 

Natasha was the first one to his side, only to see him stomping on parts of the floor. “A trapdoor?” She asked, barely daring to hope for another lead. 

 

He nodded. “It’s hollow here. Wait,” He pulled his shield off his back and jammed it into a slight crack in the flooring. The edge of the floor creaked up in a perfect square, leading into a dimly lit area beneath them. “I’ll go first, in case this is a trap.”

 

Wanda nodded in agreement, “Just hurry.”

 

Without wasting another second, Steve gripped the railing on the sides of the ladder and let gravity pull him down to the concrete floor beneath him. There was only a short hallway before him, all doors open but one. So naturally, that was the first room he checked. 

 

“It’s okay!” He called back up to the women. Natasha barely even gripped the rungs of the ladder as she slid down the same way Steve had. 

 

As they had been trained to do, Captain America and the Black Widow took up positions on either side of the door while the Scarlet Witch prepared burst in first and deflect any attacks.

 

She gently gripped the doorknob and nodded to her companions before pushing the unlocked door open. The small room was a mess, filled with boxes and spilled bookshelves. But the majority of the clutter was pushed against the walls to clear space for the table in the center, and the body laying atop it.

 

“Shit,” Natasha hissed and rushed to Kendra’s side. “She’s alive. Steve help me get her up.” She started pushing Ken’s limp torso into a sitting position while Steve moved to help carry her between him and Nat out of the room. 

 

From there, it was too easy. There were no more attacks, no alarms, traps, or anything. The most difficult thing had been pulling Kendra up the ladder to get back the way they came. The whole base was eerily silent, as if there had never been soldiers or a man taunting them in the speakers. Natasha knew they must have gotten out some other way, but their need to get out of the building outweighed every other priority. 

 

She had a feeling the Avengers hadn’t seen the last of this Puppetmaster character. 

 

When they finally got back to the main entrance, they were shocked to find the large door they had entered to be open again. The cold winter air was blowing through the wide hall, and it was the sharp sting of the chill that roused Kendra from her sleep. 

 

Natasha turned to the woman slung over her shoulder when she heard a small groan. “Kendra? You with me?”

 

She just moaned again, louder and more whiney this time. 

 

“Steve, try getting in contact with Tony again. Tell him to prep the jet.” The Captain nodded and did just that. Nat turned back to the unconscious agent. “Stay awake, Ken. Tell me about where you were trained.”

 

She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “can’t ride a bike”, but at least she was talking. 

 

They sunk a few inches into the snow when they stepped out of the doors and were joined up by Thor. The god jogged up to them and volunteered to take Kendra silently. Thor held Ken carefully, arm slung around her waist with one of her arms over his shoulder. The jet touched down a few yards away just long enough to let the rest of the team clamber on board. Soon they were rising above the demolished base, away from anything that could threaten them.

 

Natasha hovered while Ken was set up on a temporary gurney that had seen too much use between the Avengers team. To his credit, Tony didn’t complain, just let FRIDAY scan Ken for any injuries or foreign technology in case HYDRA was trying to track them or plant surveillance devices without their knowledge. 

 

“All clean,” Tony announced, “except for the sedatives. There’s quite a bit of those in her blood. Like, could-tranquilize-Captain-Crunch quite a bit. But other than that--”

 

“Thank you, Tony.” Natasha cut him off and stepped next to Ken’s head. 

 

“Why does nobody respect me in my own stuff? First my house, then my car, now my plane…” He trailed off while he continued his rant on his way back to the cockpit. Nat spared a small smile at his back before turning her full attention to the agent waking up on the table before her. 

 

Kendra’s eyes were opening groggily, trying to focus on her environment. Natasha crouched to be level with her stare and began talking to her softly. 

 

“Hey, Ken,” she said gently, “how do you feel?” 

 

Ken took a breath in through her mouth and sighed out, “Fuzzy…” She turned her head marginally to see her environment. “Did we win?” 

 

Nat huffed a laugh. “Yes, we got what we came here for. And we all made it out.” 

 

“T’was a glorious battle!” Thor cheered, “At least for me. Many victims fell to Mjolnir and I’s might!” 

 

Ken blinked slowly at the god of thunder. “I got drugged, but I’m glad you had fun.” 

 

Thor flashed a smile at her before he understood the meaning of Natasha’s pointed stare and took his seat to exchange his side of the fight to Steve. 

 

Ken was back to staring at Natasha with a soft expression. She was glad the Black Widow was okay. She knew the redhead could take care of herself, but she worried for her over the others. Maybe it was because they had gotten closer, and she could see the agent making visible effort to connect with her. She had begun to think of Natasha as a friend in their time together. 

 

“Are you okay?” She slurred out.

 

Natasha looked one part exasperated, one part amused. “Did you really just ask me that after you fell through a ceiling and got drugged and kidnapped?” 

 

That was another question to add to the list regarding Kendra’s...situation. Why did HYDRA take her? They hadn’t given her anything but a ton of sedatives and a slew of soldiers to vent her anger on. HYDRA always got what they wanted, Natasha had learned. So what had they wanted from Ken?

 

That was a question for another time. The present demanded her attention.  

 

Natasha opened her mouth to speak, but Kendra beat her to it. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Nat closed her mouth as she continued.

 

“I was so desperate to find some answers to my past that I lost focus. I should have never gotten caught and I know that they just wanted me from the start. I-” She cut herself off and swallowed, voice getting choked up. “He said he was my father, Natasha. The puppetmaster guy.” 

 

Natasha shook her head. “He doesn’t love you. Not to be mean, but you don’t owe him anything. Even if you are related, he’s proven that he won’t show mercy when it comes to getting what he wants.”

 

Ken nodded and turned her head towards the ceiling. She blinked away the wetness in her eyes and exhaled shakily. “I know. My family has never been related by blood. And he means nothing to me in that aspect. I just never thought I would meet my parents and now that I have…”

 

“You wish things were different.” 

 

Kendra just nodded. 

 

Natasha reached out to take her hand and gave it a small squeeze. “We’re going to figure this out, Ken. It’ll be okay.”

 

Kendra’s lips twitched up in a smile. “I believe you.”

 

They sat in silence for a while, mulling over their individual thoughts. Kendra kept her thumb brushing lightly over Nat’s knuckles, back and forth, back and forth… Soon Natasha found herself breathing a little easier as she focused on the sensation. Kendra was able to relax just knowing her friend was close by. 

 

But then Natasha realized their position, and a new kind of stress manifested itself in her mind. She replayed her own words, spoken just moments ago, and realized how  _ familiar _ they must have seemed. She was glad, sure, but she had to wonder if Kendra was. She looked content enough, but maybe it was time to give each other space, even if she didn’t want it. 

 

But the second she stood to try and head back to her seat, the grip on her hand tightened. 

 

“Will you stay with me?” Kendra asked softly, almost like she was embarrassed.

 

Natasha looked at the others in the room, confused as to why she wanted her there when she wouldn’t be alone. “Why me?” 

 

“You feel safe.” She started running her thumb over her hand again, still holding firmly.

 

Natasha moved to sit on the edge of the gurney, and stayed. 


	9. Becoming Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More questions about Kendra's past arise from the evidence found on the last mission. Romantic stuff happens.

Kendra kicked her legs leisurely where they dangled over the edge of the exam table. They had made it back to base, where Bruce had busied himself with taking her bloodwork and tending to any other injuries the team had returned with. There was nothing too serious, despite Tony’s joking protests that his broken nail was absolutely a big deal. 

 

“Alright,” The doctor sighed and scanned the results on the screen before him. “No trackers, nanobots, drugs, and you’re not a clone. Her DNA is still messed up but I did all I could.”

 

“Me and my DNA can hear you just fine, thank you.” Ken quipped without any heat while she pushed herself off the table.

 

“Thanks, Bruce,” Steve ignored her and lightly clapped the Doctor on the back. “Sorry to make you help us but I know you’re the best equipped to look at something like this.” 

 

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Something as rare as this and so unknown needs to be studied thoroughly.”

 

Ken raised an eyebrow from where she stood with her hand on her hip. “Weeellll, I’m gonna go before you turn me into a science project. Thanks again, Bruce.” She waved to them both before turning from the room and heading for the elevators. 

 

Steve made sure she was out of hearing range before turning back to the Doctor. “Natasha gave you the information we got?” He said quietly as if someone would overhear them. 

 

Bruce nodded and spoke at the same volume. “It’s decrypting now. It’ll take about a day. I’m guessing we should make sure to look over everything we find before we let her know?” 

 

“Don’t tell Natasha either,” Steve ordered but explained at Bruce’s confused expression. “She and Ken have been getting really close recently. I don’t want her to get hurt if we find something.” 

 

“You mean like a file on her?” 

 

Steve nodded. “I don’t think she’d appreciate being betrayed again. And if she is, she shouldn’t be the one to take Ken down.”

 

Bruce nodded gravely, not liking the thought but understanding that precautions were necessary. “I understand. Tony and I will find whatever we can.” 

 

* * *

 

Ken knew she had just gotten back from a mission, and that she was tired, and should probably take a nap after her shower. But she only really had one goal today, and one target. 

 

“Natasha!” Ken swung around the doorframe into the kitchen. “Want to watch a movie?” 

 

Natasha looked up from her bowl of cereal, one cheek full and a drip of milk on the corner of her mouth. “...What?” She spoke around the food in her mouth. She looked to have already showered and was wearing a tank top and sweats.

 

“Movie night. Today. Ten minutes?” Ken checked with her, shooting quick finger guns her way. 

 

Nat blinked, then slowly nodded. 

 

Kendra beamed, “Great! I’ll get the blankets and make some popcorn.” She swung back out of view and left a slightly confused Natasha to her cereal. 

 

Around the corner, Ken was staring at her hands in frustration. “Finger guns.” She almost whispered with a hint of anger. “Why am I like this? What made me so awkward? God…” She huffed out a sigh and dragged her hands down her face. 

 

Social awkwardness aside, she had a date to plan for. Date? Friendly get together? She would let Natasha decide. For now, she needed blankets. 

 

* * *

 

When living in a base that housed many super-powered people, some things differed from a normal household. For example, Thor’s walls were laced with a rubber that prevented them from accidentally being destroyed by his lightning, there were emergency boxes with sedatives powerful enough to take down three adult elephants in each room in case Bruce started to Hulk out, the landline phone number was constantly changing to avoid tracking, and the walls were totally soundproof because of the general loudness of the whole team. 

 

So Kendra cranked the volume of the entertainment room TV up and turned on the surround sound without guilt. Her nest of blankets on the couch was complete, the popcorn was popped, now all that she needed was Natasha. 

 

Speak of the devil, the redhead walked into the room with her hands over her ears. “Ken!” She shouted, “Turn it down!”

 

“What?!”

 

“ _ Turn it down! _ ”

 

“ **_What?!_ ** ”

 

Natasha snatched the remote and muted the intro credits. “Turn it down.” She turned to Ken, who was smiling sheepishly. “Why did you have it all the way up?”

 

“I wanted to see how loud it could go.” She shrugged, “Sorry.” 

 

Nat rolled her eyes fondly and flopped backward onto the couch. “So what is this?” She nodded to the movie while Ken copied her and grabbed the popcorn bowl. 

 

“I dunno, some action film Sam said was ‘critically acclaimed’.” She held out the bowl in offering and Nat took some pieces. 

 

They settled back to watch, leaning against each other with only the thin fabric of the blankets separating them. Their body heat seeped through the blankets and provided warmth. But Kendra wanted more. 

 

Her stomach was heavy, and her chest was tight. She hardly dared to breathe while she adjusted her posture to drape her blanket-clad arm over Nat’s shoulders. But the agent didn’t ignore the gesture or move away from it, and rather leaned into her body like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

 

Ken exhaled quietly in relief. Mission successful. 

 

In fact, maybe a little too successful. Natasha wriggled her arm behind her back and rest her head on Ken’s chest, so she was full-on snuggling with her.  _ Snuggling _ . 

 

Kendra had not prepared for this. 

 

Her heart was beating so loudly and so quickly she was sure that the Black Widow could hear it over the volume of the movie. In a last-ditch attempt to retain some normalcy, she commented, “These stunts are so unrealistic.” 

 

Natasha shifted to see the film better, and Ken realized too late that she had been turned too far away from the screen to be actually  _ watching  _ it. She had just been lounging against her chest to relax. 

 

She watched the main character flip over a road sign and jump across the hoods of moving cars. “I could do that,” She spoke with such confidence and assurance Kendra almost believed her for a moment. 

 

“And that?” She asked after a character jumped off a highway bridge and shot a grappling hook into the concrete to swing to safety.

 

“I already did that move. So yes.” 

 

Ken leaned back to study her expression and see if she was lying. He smirk was playful and her eyes were slightly crinkled with her smile while her chin was propped on Ken’s collarbone. “Oh my God, you have.” Ken determined. 

 

Nat just smiled wider. “What, like you didn’t believe me?” 

 

Ken adopted a playful grin of her own, “I mean…” 

 

Before they could get into another playful argument, a pleasant chiming rang out from Natasha’s pocket. She leaned away from Ken, not realizing just how close their faces had gotten in the past few minutes, to fish her phone out from under her blanket and glance at the contact screen. A goofy cartoon picture of a bird and the name “Birb” flashed over the screen. Nat scowled when she realized Clint had changed his contact information in her phone again. 

 

Ken snickered at the screen but turned away, feigning innocence when Nat tried to catch her in the act. The frown was still on her face when she answered the call.

 

“Stop changing your profile picture.” She kind of snapped into the phone, “You’ll blow your cover if anyone sees it and has the half a brain cell to guess your identity.”

 

“ _ Well hello to you too, sunshine _ .” Laura pretended to sound irritated, but Nat could hear the smile in her voice.

 

“Sorry,” Nat answered sheepishly. “What’s going on?” Ken leaned away from her respectfully to give her some privacy. 

 

“ _ Oh, nothing really. We just wanted to tell you that we finally got all the details of that Grand Canyon trip planned out and you’re most definitely invited.”  _

 

“Oh,” She said in pleasant surprise, “When is it?”

 

Ken poked her shoulder gently and said softly, “You want a drink?”

 

“Yeah, water would be nice. Thanks.” She turned back to the phone to listen for Laura’s answer, but the damage had been done.

 

“ _ Who was that? Was it your suitor? CLINT!” _ Natasha flinched away from the receiver when she shouted. “ _ Natasha’s crush is with her! _ ” 

 

Even though it was at a distance, Natasha could clearly hear the sound of pounding footsteps and furniture being pushed aside. She heard Lila squeal and Nathaniel laugh before the sound of something knocking over echoed in the phone. 

 

“ _ A crush you say? _ ” Clint wasn’t even out of breath despite the obvious sprint he just took through his house to get to his wife.

 

Nat rolled her eyes, “Yes she’s here. Don’t be weird.”

 

“ _ Introduce us! _ ”

 

“ _ Or you aren’t invited to our vacation anymore. _ ” A sharp thump and Clint’s sharp exclamation of “ _ Ow! _ ” told Natasha that Laura had just cuffed his shoulder in reprimand.

 

“Will you be nice and normal?” She coaxed like she was talking to her godchildren. 

 

“ _ Yes, just put her on! _ ” Laura sounded impatient. “ _ I want to meet the woman that made you admit you feel mushy inside. _ ” 

 

“I never said that.” Nat denied immediately. Ken returned with two glasses of water and plopped back down next to her. “Here,” She put the phone on speaker and held it between them. “Ken, a few acquaintances of mine would like to meet you.” 

 

Ken looked alarmed and stared at the device like it was about to blow up. “Umm, hi?” 

 

“ _ Hi! I’m Laura! _ ” She was overly cheery in the way that she only was when she was meeting new people. 

 

“ _ I’m Clint, the cool one. You’re Ken? _ ”

 

“Yes…?” She turned to Nat, “You’ve been talking about me?” 

 

_ “All good things, we promise, _ ” Laura answered. “ _ So tell us about yourself! _ ” 

 

Ken blinked and Natasha wanted to laugh at her confused expression. “Well, I was a magician two months ago. I don’t know if that’s really all that impressive.” 

 

Clint chuckled good-naturedly. “ _ Hey, I used to live in a circus and Laura still fell for me, so I guess I did something right.”  _ Laura snorted in reply, but didn’t comment. “ _ So Ken,” _ Clint suddenly took on a serious tone.  _ “As you may have gathered, Nat and I are very good friends. Practically siblings, brothers in arms, a two-man show, etcetera.” _

 

Natasha rolled her eyes and mumbled out, “Oh, God,” while he continued.

 

“ _ So I feel it is a requirement of mine to say that if you hurt her, I will find you. I already know what you look like and where you are, and it would take two phone calls to get there. Understand?”  _

 

Ken pondered his warning for a moment. “Sooo, if I wanted to keep you from getting to me I just need to block all your phone calls so you can’t leave. Gottcha.” 

 

The other line was silent for a few seconds before Laura started positively howling with laughter. “ _ Oh my god, your face! _ ” She descended into another fit of giggles. 

 

“ _ She gets the point. _ ” Clint grumbled, “ _ And I’ll be seeing you soon when we come to visit before our vacation. Count on that. _ ”

 

“Menacing,” Ken bobbed her head in a nod, “I look forward to meeting you both as well.”

 

“Alright,” Natasha spoke around the smile she didn’t know had formed on her face. “You’ve given her the shovel talk and met her, that’s enough.” She turned the phone off speaker and briefly returned Ken’s mischievous grin. “I’ll call you back, we’re kinda busy right now.”

 

“ _ Oh, sure. Call when you can and we’ll work out the details.” _ Laura sounded pleased while Clint kept mumbling about how it “wasn’t even that funny” in the background. “ _ Bye Auntie Nat! _ ” 

 

Natasha smirked at the nickname and ended the call. 

 

Ken noticed how open her expression was when she was speaking to the couple. How kind she was being and how friendly they were with each other. It was nice to see her so relaxed, and she hoped one day she could draw that same expression from her. 

 

“They’re a cute couple,” Ken remarked conversationally. 

 

Nat nodded, “Yeah, they’ve been together a while. Have a lot in common.” She leaned back against the couch in a mimic of Kendra’s position. Both had their shoulders pressed against the back of the couch, less than a foot apart but not uncomfortable with the other’s presence. 

 

“That’s important to have, I guess.” Ken smiled wistfully, “Otherwise there’d be too many disagreements.”

 

Nat shrugged with the one shoulder that wasn’t holding her up. “Probably. I don’t know.” 

 

At this, Ken looked slightly embarrassed. “Oh, I guess you wouldn’t really have time to date between saving the world and punching bad guys.”

 

“You’d think. Sometimes dating was a  _ part _ of me saving the world.” She pressed her face into the pillows and let out a soundless laugh. “But it was never me; just a character.” 

 

She felt Ken shift next to her, and what she knew to be the toe of her fuzzy sock poked Nat’s leg until she looked up. Ken was smiling at her childish behavior. “I’ve never dated either. I was always either busy and-or homeless.” She sighed wistfully, “Ah, such is the life of a SHIELD agent.” 

 

That made Natasha laugh lightly, but she knew it was strained. At Ken’s questioning gaze she explained, “Well, I’d like what Laura and Clint have. You know, a house, some kids, no worries about being hunted… I don’t think it could happen though.” She kept her eyes down while she spoke. 

 

Kendra hummed in understanding. “Well, what about the basics then? What do you think is the most important when you love someone?” 

 

Nat held back the scoff rising in her throat at the mention of love. She doubted she would know what that felt like even if it was right on top of her. Sure, she loved Clint, Laura, and her god kids, but that was a different, more familial love. She held some kind of affection for her teammates, but it was in no way romantic. 

 

Still, she tried to answer Kendra’s question. “I guess trust is an important part of it. I would want to feel safe with them, too.”

 

Ken nodded, “I agree. And we’d have to compromise pretty well, too.” 

 

Nat nodded, then realized that they were getting very close to an emotional topic. In an attempt to deviate them, she let her playful smirk slide into place and took on a lighter tone. “They’d have to have nice arms, too. And be able to take me in training.”

 

Ken raised a brow and flexed one arm. “Hm,” She grunted, “I’ve got one of those. I’ll never beat you in training though.” She sighed wistfully and slumped back into the blankets. “Oh, woe is me! To never be able to court Ms. Romanoff…” 

 

“Tragic.” Natasha’s deadpan answer pushed Kendra into a fit of giggles, and Natasha soon joined. 

 

The movie remained muted and ignored on the screen. 

 

* * *

With the new knowledge of HYDRA’s involvement with something as powerful as an infinity stone, it was all hands on deck. Bruce and Tony were working through the SHIELD files to hopefully find more answers regarding how they had gotten access to the stone in the first place and why that tied into Kendra’s origins. 

 

“So let’s go over what we know,” Bruce began as he loaded up the files onto the desk. “HYDRA has a stone, or at least has something with its energy signature.” 

 

Tony nodded, “Yup. And we can’t trace it anymore because it went off the map after yesterday's mission.” He scrolled through their information. “We don’t know which stone they had, though. Its energy was different from the ones we already have accounted for.” 

 

Bruce made a note distractedly, “Right, right…And we can conclude that they are still set on the idea of creating more super soldiers with it.” 

 

“You know,” Tony suggested, “If we can’t find that signature, maybe one of the Ikea mascots can help.” 

 

“You mean Thor and Loki?” 

 

“That’s what I said.”

 

Bruce sighed but resigned with a tired, “Worth a shot. But Loki will probably be our best bet since he knows more about these things.” 

 

“Got it.” Tony addressed the ceiling, “FRIDAY, send the emo cringe in here, please.” To Bruce, he said, “But if he gets snippy, I’m electrocuting him.” 

 

“How would you even do that?”

 

“Stealthily and with great care.”

 

Bruce rolled his eyes and turned back to the desk. “I’ve been thinking, if they knew where Kendra was this entire time they would have tried to kill her again, wouldn’t they?”

 

“So they didn’t know where she was. She was a secret agent for her entire adult life, maybe she was just really good at it.” Tony shrugged and leaned against the desk next to Bruce. 

 

“But we can track her because of her energy.” He pointed to the hologram of the earth tracing the energy signatures. “So why didn’t they track her down before she moved in with Earth’s mightiest heroes?” 

 

Realization dawned on Tony’s face and he turned his head to stare at Bruce, only to find the scientist already turned and waiting for him to come to the same conclusion. “They can’t track her. They don’t know the energy signatures of the stones.”

 

Bruce nodded. “Which begs the questions;  Why not? And how did they get their hands on one in the first place?”

 

Tony turned around to fully face the desk and started searching for answers in the recorded files. The doors behind him slid open and Bruce was left to take care of the scowling God in the doorway. 

 

“Your ceiling told me to find you.” He offered in greeting.

 

Choosing to get right to the point, Bruce waved him over impatiently. “We need you to try and find the stone. We lost it on the program we have.” 

 

At this, a mischievous smirk slid over Loki’s face. “Unsurprising, knowing how primitive Midgardian technology is.” 

 

“So can you?” Bruce ignored the jibe, used to restraining himself from rising to the bait of a taunt. 

 

“That I can. But why should I?” He waved his hand nonchalantly

 

Bruce let a spark of anger flash in his eyes. “Because the Hulk missed you, Loki.” And maybe that wasn’t fair, but the god of mischief was being difficult, as he had been in the past few weeks he’d been there. 

 

He didn’t miss the flinch the God expressed when he took a step towards him. He tried to mask it by schooling his features back into boredom, but his eyes still held a hint of nervousness. “Well, since I’ve already walked all the way up here…” 

 

Bruce kept his eyes on Loki as he stepped purposefully around him to access the map displayed above the table. Tony cast a look that somehow conveyed that he was impressed and concerned for his friend, and Bruce sent back a small smile of reassurance to stop him from worrying. 

 

Loki paused before the map and raised both hands over the rotating globe. He focused on it for a moment, and his eyes flashed a bright green. “Nothing,” He concluded. “It’s as if it never existed and nothing of the energy you saw before exists except in your Agent. Are we quite done?” He dropped his hands to rest on his hips and raised an eyebrow questioningly. 

 

Tony ignored him and instead turned to Bruce. “He’s getting snippy, Brucey. I’m gonna do it.”

 

“Don’t,” Bruce almost begged, unwilling to have the wrath of the god of mischief and lies wreaking havoc on his lab. 

 

Loki glanced between them, “Do what?”

 

“I’m ready to do it, come on, just a little spark--”

 

“Tony, you have a son to think about, now. Don’t die over something like this.” 

 

“He’d be proud of me.”

 

“And without a mentor or, Dad, or whatever you two are. Look,” He turned to Loki, “you can leave now. We’re done, thank you very much.”

 

The god huffed in annoyance but realized he wouldn’t be getting anything else from the scientists. He slid from the room soundlessly, without a proper dismissal, and left them to think again. 

 

“So it’s gone.” The billionaire leaned against the desk and glared at the map. “Then what the hell was that signature?”

 

Bruce sided up to him and mimicked his stance. He considered the question; every possibility and angle that would answer their questions. “Maybe they do know the stone’s energy.” Tony hummed in question, so he continued. “Maybe they don’t have the stone, but can mimic its energy somehow, like they did the tesseract.”

 

“Yeah…” Tony nodded and got more enthusiastic as he expanded on his thoughts. “Yeah, and they just used whatever was causing the energy as a way to draw us in, to get something.”

 

“To get Kendra.” He concluded. “She was the only thing that went against what we planned, and according to Wanda only she and Kendra were targeted by any men.” 

 

“That makes sense.” Tony looked hesitant to say it, but mentioned it regardless. “We didn’t find anything on her or in her. They didn’t give her anything to fight us with. Or try and track her, so what the hell did they want?” 

 

* * *

When Ken was younger, she never had time to think about what life would be like. Sure, she’d planned for the long-term before, but she never thought she would ever want to make anything permanent. Her life had never had constants, as the life of an agent usually was like. And even after SHIELD fell, she was only living day-to-day. She had set schedules and training regimes that she followed to a T because she had nothing else to do. It had just been her, as depressing as it was. 

 

Before that, there was just an ever-changing flow of faces and missions. She’d never felt grounded, tethered to any one moment. That is, until she met the infamous Black Widow. But she wasn’t just the title, she was a woman with hopes for her future, a smirk that made Kendra feel warm and toasted like a marshmallow over a flame, and a laugh that she would make a fool of herself to hear. Natasha had played a lot of characters in her lifetime, but Ken only wanted her to be happy. 

 

All of their relationships had formed out of necessity. Sometimes that familiarity bloomed into something that could be called a friendship, like Clint and Natasha’s had. Sometimes it became a reliance on each other that made the whole structure shudder without one crucial member, like Kendra’s old friend group. But never before had anyone actively sought her out just because they wanted to know her. 

 

With Natasha, the world seemed softer. And Kendra knew that it didn’t make sense to see the world in pastels when there was so much darkness shading the world around her. She had certainly turned away affections with  _ less _ going on, but to be fair, Natasha didn’t make her want to turn anything she wanted to offer her away. With Natasha, she wasn’t an agent keeping secrets, she could just become nothing and melt into the moment with her. 

 

Even now, watching the redhead describe one of the creative ways she managed to escape a party after completing a mission, Kendra was completely enamored. This wasn’t just a case of admiration or respect; this was affection. 

 

Kendra cared for her. She was happy with their friendship, but not necessarily satisfied. She wanted more, but wouldn’t do a thing until Natasha expressed the same interest. 

 

Speaking of, the subject of her thoughts finished her story. Kendra hadn’t heard a word of it, and Nat knew.

 

“You weren’t listening,” She didn’t sound irritated, just fondly exasperated. 

 

Ken took in a sharp breath, suddenly realizing that her breathing had been getting shallower and shallower the longer she stared into those green eyes. “Sorry, sorry. Just thinking.” 

 

“What about?” 

 

Ken shrugged and flopped back against the cushions. “I dunno. Just how things have changed since I met you. I feel...lighter, if that makes sense. It’s just easy to be next to you.”

 

Natasha just smirked and let her continue rambling on.

 

“I mean, it’s never been easy. I’ve always had to watch my back or finish a job or try not to die, and, correct me if I’m wrong, you’ve just been getting to know me for the sake of getting to know me, not for a mission. Even my closest friendships were formed out of necessity or business, so you’re the first one to take a real interest in me just because of who I am.” She had to take a deep breath in before continuing. “And maybe that’s all I’m feeling, just happy because you want to be friends, but I’m worried you’re getting into something that you can’t handle because I really  _ really _ like you. I don’t want to drag you along and for you to feel like you have to do what you’re doing to spare my feelings because I--” 

 

Natasha put a hand on her shoulder and shushed her. Her mouth snapped shut with a dulled click and she stared at the redhead with wide eyes. “I’m not hanging around you for a mission, Ken.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and left the hand on her cheek. Kendra could feel her heart beating in her throat. “I spend time with you because you make me happy. Shouldn’t that be enough of a reason?” 

 

Kendra swallowed her heart to put it back in her chest where it belonged. It still didn’t stop beating, and she was sure that Natasha could hear it, with how close they were getting. She could smell the shampoo she used, she could feel her breath gently fanning across her lips, she could count every eyelash framing those deep green orbs. 

 

She could see into Natasha, saw her intentions, and would be almost embarrassed later to realize how much she wanted what she was promising. Kendra tilted her chin up marginally, giving unspoken permission. 

 

Natasha leaned forward, eyes closing slowly as she went, and pressed her lips to Kendra’s gently. And Ken, in return, let her eyelids flutter shut as she took in the sensations of her first kiss. 

 

Suddenly the sounds of the blankets shifting around them was the most pleasant music in the world. The heat building up in her chest seeped into her limbs and fingertips and made her go slack. A sense of peace washed over her, and she found herself pulling the redhead closer by the waist without realizing she was doing it.

 

Her hands were shaking as she was sure that her heart had kicked up it’s pounding to a constant hum. She felt what Natasha was trying to convey through the kiss; warmth, safety, trust. It was easy to give into it and let herself go into the soft abyss the Black Widow had created for her. 

 

All too quickly, it was over, and Natasha was pulling away. She didn’t go far, though, and instead pressed their foreheads together to breathe gently. Ken let out a shaky breath, eyes still closed, as she felt whatever had made her body tremble fade from her system. 

 

“So, um,” Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears. “Do you want to get a coffee sometime?” 

  
  



	10. Women Scorned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kendra follows her impulses and it's not the best decision. SHOCKER.

Tony stared at the loading screen on Bruce’s computer. They had both been up all night, bouncing theories back and forth until the whiteboard behind them devolved into illegible ramblings. The more tired they became, the less their brains functioned properly. Tony knew this, and had tried to keep Bruce awake as long as possible to share in the joys of staying up past his bedtime, but the scientist had a very strict sleep schedule and had started to nod-off at around eleven. 

 

He was currently slumped over the desk next to Tony in the comfy office chair, head in his arms and snoring softly. Tony had draped a blanket over his shoulders and put on some white noise in the background. But what was easily a relaxing environment for his friend was slowly driving Tony to insanity. 

 

He was sat, a long-cold cup of coffee in his hands, next to Bruce on a stool facing the monitor. Even FRIDAY had stopped demanding that he get his recommended eight hours almost, Tony glanced at the time, six hours ago. The stolen data from the mission yesterday was being processed through his virus-checking systems and taking its sweet time with it. 

 

96%

 

Any second now, they would be able to see what exactly was so important that it demanded the Avengers be lured to the Russian mountains with a fake energy signature to retrieve. Tony’s eye twitched. 

 

97%

 

He leaned forward in anticipation. He told himself he wouldn’t wake Bruce up until it was at 99%, so he would have time to shake off the sleep before they could view the files. That, and he would have to do it gently, so he didn’t hulk-out and smash the lab again. 

 

98%

 

Tony sighed a little more dramatically than would be usually acceptable unless he was trying to get someone’s attention. This was always the worst part; the last few percentages were especially slow. He made a note to fix that. He stared at the screen blankly before the next change made him jolt.

 

99%

 

“Bruce,” he hissed and waved his hand to turn off the sound machine. “Brucey wake the fuck up.”

 

He didn’t touch the man, having learned from past experiences that waking him up suddenly would trigger a rather green panic attack. It only took a few more urgent whispers to rouse him, and by then the screen had given off a slightly victorious chime. 

 

100%

 

“Ugh,  _ finally _ ,” Bruce groaned and stretched against the back of the chair. “Let’s crack it open.” 

 

“Uh-huh, let me call everyone in here.” He pulled out his phone and sent a quick command to FRIDAY. “If we have to be awake at 5:40 to go through a database, so do they.” 

 

* * *

Natasha stirred awake slowly and became aware of three things instantly. She had forgotten to brush her teeth last night, her pillow was a lot squishier than she remembered, and it was somehow holding her around the waist. She blinked quickly to chase away the sleep in her eyes and focused on her surroundings. 

 

She was in the movie room, with a ton of blankets piled around and on her. Her memories of yesterday evening came rushing back to her, and she let out a small sigh that definitely didn’t sound wistful, not at all. Kendra was still sleeping beneath her, and it didn’t take a genius to realize that Natasha had curled up to her and pillowed her head on her breasts. It was a good sleep, that was for sure. 

 

But Kendra was still asleep, jaw slack and head flopped at an awkward looking angle. She was definitely not a pretty sleeper. Nat snickered at her expression before she slowly sat up and separated herself from her new girlfriend. Her front felt cold where she was pressed against the length of Ken’s body just a moment ago. 

 

FRIDAY spoke softly through the intercoms, “Ms. Romanoff, Mr. Stark has requested a team meeting to go over the data collected from your latest mission.” 

 

“We’ll be right there.” She turned her attention back to the sleeping agent beneath her. “Kendra,” She slowly ran her hand up and down Kendra’s arm in a caring gesture. “Ken, it’s time to wake up now.” 

 

Kendra took a deep breath in and blinked awake with hazy eyes. When she focused on Natasha’s face her lips tilted up in a grin and she propped herself up on her elbows. “Good morning.” She greeted.

 

“‘Morning,” Nat replied while she pushed the many blankets off of the couch so she could stand. “We have a meeting. The flash drive is done loading.” 

 

Kendra’s face fell marginally, but she perked herself up just as quickly. “Right,” she swung her legs off the side of the couch and bounced to her feet. “Let’s take a look-see at my stellar past.”

 

Natasha caught her arm before she could take a step. “Hey, you know that no matter what we find, it won’t change what I said last night.”

 

Ken blinked, then seemed to melt before Natasha’s eyes. She drew her in for a hug and weaved her fingers through the assassin’s hair. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem,” Natasha teased, “I really do want to get that coffee sometime.” 

 

Ken scoffed but drew back and let Natasha lead the way to the laboratory. 

 

* * *

“Alright, everyone’s here? Good? Great.” Tony rushed through his greeting as soon as Wanda and Vision had entered the small lab. It was a little cramped with such a large amount of people, but they maneuvered each other so they could all see the hologram floating above the center table.

 

“So here’s what we found,” Bruce began, “it’s not a surprise that HYDRA has been pretty obsessed with the idea of super soldiers since the forties. But it looks like they stopped trying to copy the serum, and jumped straight to messing with a cosmic power they couldn’t begin to understand.”

 

“That’s what Pietro and Wanda were; extensions of the stone in Loki’s scepter power.” Tony jumped in, looking jittery with a cup of coffee in one hand. “So Houdini is the less new and improved model, which means she’s possibly unstable.” 

 

“Sorry, what?” Ken interrupted. “What does that mean?”

 

“It means your DNA is full of infinity stone dust, essentially.” Bruce brought up two strands of DNA, one was obviously Kendra’s, and the other looked relatively normal. “These are plans pulled from an abandoned operation called Project Snowflake. Essentially, it was an experiment on DNA that was meant to combine infinity stone DNA with super soldier serum DNA and create the “perfect soldier.””

 

“But infinity stones can only be located with the power of other infinity stones.” Loki, surprisingly, chimed in. “How could they have gotten their hands on one to begin with?” 

 

“An excellent question, emo cringe!” Tony waved his coffee haphazardly, sloshing the drink onto the floor a little. “When those Nazi bastards squirmed their way into the structure of the most powerful espionage agency in the world, they had pretty much free reign over the Tesseract for a couple of years before it was locked up tight where it would come back to bite us in the ass later. They drew yet  _ another  _ pebble of destiny through what they repeatedly call ‘The Rift’ in their reports, and used  _ that _ stone to create the walking radiation beacon over here.” He waved at Kendra.

 

“Not harmful radiation, don’t worry.” Bruce rushed to reassure them while Tony took a long pull from his cup. “It just means we can track you if we try hard enough, but as far as we can tell HYDRA doesn’t have that technology, so you’re safe.” 

 

“But they can get it,” Wanda warned, and drew the attention of the room. “When Ken and I were in the facility, we found a room full of boxes of new technology. They’re getting funding from somewhere.”

 

“We’ll come back to that later,” Steve assured, “For now, tell us what you learned about the stone and this Project Snowflake.” 

 

Bruce nodded, “Right. Well, it was basically a goal that wouldn’t have been able to be accomplished if they didn’t find a way to integrate infinity stone energy into DNA. They wanted a human more powerful than what Dr. Erskine created with his serum, so they turned to the most powerful thing in the known universe.”

 

“I always thought HYDRA and SHIELD were creative with their project and mission names,” Tony said with an air of casualness that could only mean that he was implying something. “I mean ‘Project Snowflake’? How obvious can you get?” He chuckled but cut himself off with a long chug from his paper cup.

 

It took Kendra all of three seconds to gasp, then make a sound of disgust in the same breath. “Gross, Bucky they wanted us to smash.” 

 

Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head while various other members of present company groaned. Tony grinned and shot finger guns at Kendra when he realized she got it. 

 

“Kendra, this is a professional conversation.” Steve reminded sternly.

 

“I’m plenty professional!” She protested, but Natasha quelled her energy with a firm hand on her shoulder. The ex-agent pouted, but stood down and let their team leaders take control of the room again.

 

When he was sure she wasn’t going to interrupt again, Steve turned back to Bruce. “What happened with the project?”

 

Bruce looked relieved to move on from the topic at hand and continued. “Since Kendra’s DNA integration was recorded as a failure, they abandoned it pretty quickly. But they were still interested in the potential of creating soldiers designed from scratch and, um…” He cast a nervous glance at Natasha. “They re-opened a failed operation as a result.” 

 

Tony, suddenly serious, looked directly at Natasha to announce, “The Red Room is still operating.” 

 

Natasha stiffened with her hand still on Kendra’s shoulder. Ken noticed and turned to face her, recognizing the look of terror as the same expression she’d seen on victims of shock. While she tried to calm her down, Bruce elaborated on their discoveries. 

 

“They’re focusing more on genetic potential than the actual training, but yeah.” He sighed and turned to the desktop. “While the original operation to create people like Ken was a failure, their discovery of creating mutants before they were even born was something they decided to utilize. They want to make an army.” On the hologram, the DNA strands shifted and changed to be so warped they hardly resembled a structure at all. “People made like this wouldn’t last long, but with the right abilities they wouldn’t need to to fulfill their purpose.”

 

“Then why am I still alive?” Kendra asked, arms now around Natasha’s shoulders and one hand petting her head softly. “How did they find me?” 

 

“You remember that time you bombed central park theatre?” Tony asked with sarcasm dripping from his tone. “HYDRA came back for Frosty, but instead they found you and your freaky DNA.” 

 

“So they’re actively hunting her?” Bucky asked the room with a noticeable hint of worry, “They want both of us?”

 

“They had me,” Ken remembered, eyes fixed on the hologram spinning on the table. “They separated me from the team and had me drugged and unconscious. Why didn’t they just take me with them? Why leave me behind? Not that I’m not glad.” 

 

Natasha reached up and grabbed Ken’s hand, startling everyone in the room with the blatant display of affection. “They’re keeping you alive for something. I don’t know what.” 

 

“As for why you’re still alive,” Bruce explained, “The man you fought, the Puppetmaster, was one of the lead strategists in the project. It was his job to kill you when you were at a recorded three and a half years old, but he decided to leave you in Lithuania instead.”

 

“Oh, I feel it is important to announce that he is not, in fact, your father.” Tony chimed in, “He just thinks you owe him because he did the absolute minimum to keep you alive.”

 

“Oh, so we’re going up against a deluded strategist with backup plans inside his backup plans and an obsession with one of our teammates.” Sam spoke matter of factly, “Sounds fun.” 

 

“What about the Red Room?” Natasha spoke up, “How can we stop it?”

 

“We already have a target,” Tony pulled up a topographical map with marked points in a city. “In, you guessed it, Russia. We’re still gathering information, but we’ll find out what we can expect within the week.”

 

“Tell us as soon as you get anything,” Steve ordered, already sending worried glances at Bucky, who looked notably paler than what could be considered healthy. “Thank you Tony, Bruce. Be sure to get some sleep.” 

 

“Way ahead of you, Captain Dorito.” Tony pulled a blanket from underneath the table and shuffled out the door. “We’ll get through this, team!” He called behind him, “We always do!” 

 

While everyone else filed out, murmuring their worried concerns, Natasha turned to face Ken so no one would be able to hear her. “I’m going to go cool down in my room. I’ll come out soon but I need to be alone.” 

 

Kendra agreed easily. “Whatever you need. I’ll leave some food outside your door later.” 

 

Natasha managed a small, trembling smile in thanks and found her way out of the lab quickly. Soon, it was just Bruce, who was clearing away some clutter and files on the counters lining the wall, Loki, Sam, and Ken left in the room. 

 

Kendra stared at the holographic map, still glowing faintly. She thought through her options and realized she would only really consider two of them. One, wait for the proper mission in less than a week, which would give the enemy time to prepare and possibly give them the opportunity to hurt one of her friends; Or two, do what she’d always done, and handle it. 

 

If HYDRA was re-starting the Red Room, they could have children in their hands at that very moment. The longer they were in danger, the more likely they were to be hurt when they found them. But alternatively, they had a higher success rate if they had a coordinated plan. 

 

Sam pulled her out of her musings with a light touch on the arm. “Hey, you okay?” 

 

Ken nodded absently, “Just worried. Thanks,” She smiled and turned to glance at him. “It may take me a second to process all of that.”

 

“We can train later if you want to work off some steam.” 

 

“I’d like that,” Ken assured. 

 

Sam stared at the map in front of them, then asked almost hesitantly, “You’re not thinking of going after them, are you?” 

 

Ken scoffed convincingly, “Oh yeah, me and what army?”

 

Relieved, Sam gave her a firm pat on the shoulder and left her to her thoughts. Ken stared at the coordinates listed at the bottom of the screen for a few moments longer before following him. 

 

Left forgotten leaning against a far wall, Loki smirked. He could sense a liar in their midst.

 

* * *

 

 

Ken knocked on Wanda’s door frame and leaned into the room. “Hey, Wanda, you’re impulsive, right?”

 

The Scarlet Witch blinked slowly. “Why?” 

 

“I didn’t hear a denial, awesome.” She stepped into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. 

 

“Look, Kendra,” Wanda started, sounding nervous and turning away from where she had been writing at her desk. “I’m not really the one to have good advice for you. Maybe Steve can do a better--”

 

“What? No, no, no, I need  _ your _ help. And it’s probably not with what you think I’m here for.” 

 

“Okay, so what is it?” She turned her chair to face the woman with an inquisitive expression.

 

Ken pressed her lips together tightly in thought. “Sooo… I want to get more information on what I am, and I know we have a mission in the works already to hit that HYDRA base but, and hear me out,” She held up her hands like she was trying to calm a horse. Wanda only raised an eyebrow. “I want to get that information from the base before they can prepare themselves anymore for us coming.”

 

“So let me see if I can understand.” Wanda leaned back and crossed her arms, looking years older than she really was. “You came to me because you need help invading a secure HYDRA base with a fraction of the firepower we’d normally have to get information on your weird past before the enemy can completely protect themselves from us.” 

 

“Precisely.” 

 

“Okay, good. At least I understand.” She leaned her elbows on her knees and stared her down. “But why do you want to rush? Why not ask to move the mission up? Or just wait?” 

 

Ken huffed and sat on the corner of Wanda’s bed heavily. “I don’t know, I just… can’t sit still knowing they may have kids with them. Or knowing that we’d be playing into their hands if we didn't hit fast and hard. I know Steve is super strict with timing but I don’t understand how we could just  _ wait _ .” 

 

Wanda nodded, the movement a slow bob of her head that made her hair fall over her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll go. But Vision is coming with us.” 

 

Ken grinned, suddenly excited. “Yeah, that’s fine! I have a plus one, too.”

 

Before Wanda could ask, Thor passed the open door and caught sight of the agent. “Ah, Lady Kendra!” His booming voice echoed around the small bedroom. “I’ve prepared the jet, I think, and nobody knows of our adventure.” He finally caught sight of Wanda, who was looking nonplussed. 

 

“You invited the loudest Avenger on a stealth mission?” She asked in deadpan, ignoring Thor’s indignant protest, as if Kendra would laugh a moment later and tell her this whole thing was a joke. 

 

But the woman just looked sheepish, then rushed to explain herself. “He’s the second best source of knowledge we have on the infinity stones, next to Loki, who may or may not try and kill us if given the chance.”

 

Wanda sighed and seemed to deflate a little. “I hate that you’re right. Maybe Vision will be able to keep this thing from spiraling.” 

 

“That’s the plan,” Ken affirmed and clapped her hands once as she stood. “Okay! Let’s suit up and I’ll bring snacks. Can you tell Vision, Wanda?” 

 

The teenager just nodded as she, too, stood. 

 

“Nice. So should we have a name?” Ken glanced between the two heroes for suggestions. 

 

“...the Avengers?” Wanda answered hesitantly, suddenly doubting the sanity of the mastermind behind their little coup. 

 

“Well, I mean we’re going rogue so…” Her teammates just looked confused. “Nevermind.”

 

* * *

 

Natasha was pretty proud of herself. Usually, when memories of the Red Room bubbled to the surface in her mind she had to isolate herself and remember who she was for at least half a day. This time she only needed three hours, but still gave herself another extra hour to make sure. So she was in a generally good mood when she opened her suite door. 

 

Until she was met with a familiar smirk waiting for her in the hall. 

 

“Your lover truly cares for you,” Loki commented and gestured to the tray of food on the floor. 

 

“What do you want?” Natasha just barely restrained herself from snapping at the god. 

 

“Why must I want something to talk to you?” His voice is too smooth to not imply mischief. “Perhaps I just want to chat.” 

 

Natasha took a step forward, and was pleased to note that he retreat back a step in turn. “You always want something. So what. Is it.” Another step forward, and they were out in the hallway.

 

Loki let a flicker of doubt cross his face, but covered it up with his usual cocky smirk. “I merely wished to talk. Perhaps about my surprise at your leniency with your hold on your Agent.”

 

“What about her?” She marched him back until his back was pressed to the opposite wall, and all semblance of bravado melted from his face. “What have you done to her?” 

 

“You don’t know?” He might have been trying to feign nonchalance, but his darting eyes gave him away.

 

Natasha’s hand shot out to slam him back into the wall. “What. Happened.” 

 

Loki sounded strained, as if the full realization of his newfound mortality and powerlessness had hit him. “I overheard my brother speaking with her! They’re going after more information regarding her past, and they left in a jet not a few hours ago!” 

 

Her eyes widened in panic and restoked anger. “ _ Hours!? _ ” Natasha released the pressure on his chest and sprinted down the hall towards the communication rooms. 

 

Loki was left leaning against the wall, heart pounding and thanking his lucky stars that he hadn’t been beaten into a floor this time. He would have to be more careful in his new, significantly less powerful, body. 

 

Meanwhile, Natasha skid into the empty communications room filled with rows of computers and a console that could contact their agents. She punched her code into the keypad in record speed to contact the only plane out of the hangar. 

 

The Red Room was dangerous for anyone, and only especially so for anyone who’d never experienced it. Her instructors had been ruthless, the guards slimy, and the whole building as clean as an operating room. She had grinned madly as she walked over the crumbling ashes of that wretched place and its evil tenants. 

 

But now it was back, and her best friend (maybe girlfriend) was flying right for it. 

 

The video chat was ringing on the opposite side, and it was answered after two beats. 

 

“ _ \--don’t answer it, I’ll be accused of treason! _ ” Natasha recognized Kendra’s voice in the background.

 

Thor’s confused face filled the screen. “ _ Lady Kendra, do you not wish to speak to your lover? _ ” 

 

“ _ I’m not here! Answer and tell her I’m not here! _ ”

 

Natasha crossed her arms and shot a hard glare at Thor through the screen. 

 

“ _ Umm, she’s not here? _ ” 

 

“Put her on.” 

 

“ _ Yeah. _ ”

 

He stood up and left the pilot seat. She could hear some harshly-whispered arguing off-screen before Kendra fell into the chair as if she’d been pushed. She glared at someone to her left before coughing into her gloved fist and turning to the camera. Her eyes were nervous and her lips had stretched into a fake smile. 

 

“ _ Hey, baby _ .” 

 

“Don’t you start!” Natasha jabbed a finger at the screen and tried to ignore the full-body flinch that traveled through Kendra’s body. “What the hell are you doing in uniform?! Where are you going in a  _ stolen _ Avengers jet?!”

 

“ _ Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to get mad. _ ”

 

“I’m already mad!” She snapped. “Loki says you’re going after that HYDRA base we discovered this morning, but I know that can’t be true because there’s no way I’m dating someone that stupid.”

 

Ken frowned, “ _ I’m not stupid. _ ”

 

“So you aren’t going after the base with Thor?”

 

“... _ well, Wanda and Vision are here too. _ ”

 

Natasha sighed and rubbed both hands down her face. “Kendra,” she started in a much calmer tone, “turn around and come back. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”

 

“ _ I have a vague idea, _ ” she defended, “ _ I went on a solo mission to break all the younger Red Room girls out of the old facility before Fury sent you in the finish the job. _ ”

 

Nat was a little surprised at that fact but couldn’t let it deter her argument. “And what’s your plan here, hm? What is your end goal?”

 

Ken didn’t look the least bit deterred. “ _ Surprisingly enough, I do have one. See my theory is that Vision can sense other infinity stones, since he technically  _ is _ one, so if it’s anywhere in the place he’ll know and we can plan accordingly from there. Wanda and Thor are walking powerhouses, so we’re covered there. And we’re all going to be stealthy, so no worries. _ ”

 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Natasha tried to remain collected and calm while talking to the magician. “What. Is. Your. Plan.”

 

“ _...We’re going to destroy any more Red Room operations. _ ”

 

“Turn around.”

 

“ _ No, _ ” Ken said, sounding more serious than she had since this conversation began. “ _ Natasha, I’m sorry. But these people have answers to my past. If I know what they were planning for me, maybe we can stop it. _ ”

 

“Then wait until the  _ coordinated _ and  _ planned _ mission we’re doing next week!” Nat threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Why are you so eager to do this now?!”

 

“ _ Because I can’t risk losing answers anymore! _ ” Kendra was shouting too, now. She switched over to French so no one around her would understand or try to pry, but Natasha barely noticed. “ _ I’m tired of having to wonder where I came from, and now that I know even a little I realize that I was meant to be something entirely different than what I am now. I was supposed to be some evil mindless soldier, but for some reason, I’m here. I  _ need _ to find out why, Nat, please understand that. _ ”

 

“I do understand that, Kendra.” She spoke passionately, “But the Red Room Operation is too dangerous. We’ll find your answers, I swear, but you have to be  _ alive _ to do that and flying right to the enemy isn’t safe!”

 

“ _ I can’t let this chance slip away from me, Nat. _ ”

 

The redhead’s voice took on a cold tone. It was time for a different approach. “If you thought this was the right thing to do, you would have told someone.” She said darkly. “Instead you’re sneaking out of the base in broad daylight and convincing other people to put their lives on the line for your benefit. It’s wrong, Kendra, and you know it.” 

 

Ken just sat back in her chair, an expression of betrayal on her face. “ _ You think we can’t do this, don’t you? I know things seem like they weren’t well thought out but we have enough information to get in and get out undetected. And I only told them what I wanted to do. They’re here because they agree, not because I forced them. We’re ready to find some answers and get the jump on HYDRA, Natasha. _ ” She leaned forward again, hand outstretched. “ _ And that’s what we’re going to do. _ ” 

 

“Ken, don’t--” The screen went dark, and communications from that computer were cut off. Natasha knew that she could contact them again from any other communication hub; Kendra wasn’t dumb enough to completely sever contact with home base.

 

Natasha groaned and tipped her head back. She thought couples weren’t supposed to argue until at least three months down the line. But she and Ken loved to rush things, didn’t they?

 

 

* * *

 

Natasha knew she would have to go after them, but she also knew that if this incident wasn’t contained Kendra would be kicked off the team and possibly arrested under the accusation of starting a coup. So she kept the issue close, and chose her teammates wisely. 

 

“Why am I here?” Loki asked, sounding bored from where he sat across from Sam in one of their smaller helicopters. 

 

“Because if we’re going to pull this off and bring our people home I’ll need both chaos and order on my side,” Natasha answered from the cockpit while she prepared for takeoff. 

 

Sam hummed thoughtfully, “Well that was cryptic.”

 

“Quite.” Loki agreed.

 

“Any reason it’s just the three of us?” Sam kept asking, “I’d think Cap would be all over this kind of mission.”

 

“We would if he knew about it.” She didn’t look back when she replied. “And don’t worry, Wilson, I left him a note explaining your innocence with this.”

 

“And for me?” Loki inquired.

 

“The only reason you’re here is because I know you got your shifting abilities back. Well,” She turned to look Loki in the eye with a smirk, “that, and you pissed me off earlier. Maybe this mission will knock you down a few pegs,  _ your majesty _ .” She ignored his look of shock and turned back to the window. “Now let’s go chase after my idiot girlfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad to announce that I will be going on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time while I catch up on work. But keep an eye out for my new book, "Whatever Comes To Mind" on Amazon coming this March! Thank you, babes and I'll see you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Me, cursing myself for putting so much italicized text in the first chapter alone: "YoU gOtTa UsE iTaLiCs WhEn SoMeOnE iS tAlKiNg On A rAdIo!" 
> 
> Anyway... here it is.


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